Athlete: Iris Valeria Gonzalez aka Vale (Argentina)

A new day means a new opportunity - following this idea Valeria Gonzalez aka Vale, who in a few weeks starts as a representative for her homeland into the Buenos Aires 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games, shapes her life.

Vale was born in Mendoza on 7 May 2000 and started dancing only four years ago. Until then she had seen breaking in music videos only - the enthusiasm to learn it was great but the opportunities in Mendoza only few. For Vale it was a lucky twist of fate when her mother found out that free lessons were offered in the community centre and decided to take her daughter there. From the first breaking class with Luis Jeremias Sosa aka b-boy Astilla, who until today has been Vale’s coach and who essentially marked her development, she knew that this is exactly what she wants to do.

The young Argentinian convinces not only through her dynamic style which includes a lot of up-and-down moves, toprocks, footworks and freezes, but also through the necessary attitude, a good battle strategy and matured resistance.

In comparison to other country representatives it was for the Argentinian athletes not necessary to take part in the online-video-qualification or in one of the Continental Qualifiers. Their first Olympic competition took place at the World Championship in Kawasaki. Here b-girl Vale reached the fourteenth place in the overall ranking and thus the qualification for Olympia. The 18-year-old sees herein a unique opportunity for herself and describes it as the best experience in her life.

For this reason it is incomprehensible for Vale that there are people who speak out against `breaking´ being accepted as an Olympic Sport.
Competing for her homeland in Buenos Aires is a great honour for Vale and thus she spends also her free days with workout and running and works on moves and combinations which cost her most of her power.

From home Vale receives the greatest support. Friends, family and her crew `Family JAI´ back her in every situation and even if they can’t be always and everywhere with her, Vale knows that in every battle they cheer for her in front of the television screen at home.