{"id":60269,"date":"2025-03-25T20:40:22","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T00:40:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fepada.org\/?p=60269"},"modified":"2025-03-26T15:04:58","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T19:04:58","slug":"matheo-mateos-tapa-de-revista","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fepada.org\/?p=60269","title":{"rendered":"MATHEO MATEOS TAPA DE REVISTA"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Balancing Dreams<\/h1>\n
Olympic swimmer Matheo Mateos talks about his sport, academics and future plans<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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Written by<\/span>\u00a0Riti Dave<\/span><\/p>\n

Published on<\/span>\u00a001-17-2025<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt was years of sacrifice, commitment and discipline that finally ended up working out.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For Matheo Mateos, the words\u00a0sacrifice, commitment and discipline\u00a0<\/em>encapsulate the dedication that led him to represent his country in the 200-meter individual medley at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Born in Paraguay, Mateos\u2019 journey has taken him from local pools to the global stage, and now, to Purdue University, where he is pursuing an MBA.<\/p>\n

Balancing the grueling demands of athletics and academics, Mateos\u2019 story is one of focus, resilience and the pursuit of growth. From representing his country at the Olympics to preparing for a career in sports management, he is redefining what it means to chase big dreams\u2014proving that passion and purpose can go hand in hand.<\/p>\n

From Paraguay to Purdue: An athlete\u2019s academic journey<\/h2>\n

Mateos\u2019 move from Paraguay to the United States was motivated by a desire to pursue both academics and athletics at a high level. \u201cThe United States has a really good system where you can keep doing your sport while also pursuing an academic degree,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

As a first-generation college student, he takes immense pride in the path he\u2019s forging. After completing his undergraduate degree in business administration in the U.S., he decided to take his education further wanting to prepare for a career in sports management. Choosing Purdue University for his MBA allowed him to continue swimming while building a foundation for his future.<\/p>\n

\u201cPurdue stood out for its strong reputation and the opportunities it provides to student-athletes. It has a great MBA program and a great swim team. I wanted to take my education to the next level while staying committed to my sport,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Looking Back: The journey to the Olympics<\/h2>\n

Swimming first became part of Mateos\u2019 life as a six-year-old during carefree summers in Paraguay. What began as a recreational activity soon became a passion, fueled by years of practice, competition and unwavering support from his family, friends and coaches.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on his athletic journey, he says, \u201cSwimming started as fun, but as I grew, so did my love for the sport. Every challenge\u2014whether injuries or tough losses\u2014only strengthened my desire to improve.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pinnacle of his career came at the Paris 2024 Olympics, his first time competing at that level. \u201cThe energy, the atmosphere, the crowd\u2014it was surreal,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing surrounded by the best athletes in the world, living in the same place\u2014it exceeded my expectations. It was a magical moment that inspired me to keep pushing forward,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Behind the scenes: Training and time management<\/h2>\n

Years of disciplined training prepared Mateos for his Olympic milestone. His routine was intense, demanding up to 24 hours of swimming practice weekly. \u201cYou plan everything\u2014the diet, the practices and recovery sessions,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Mateos\u2019 daily schedule was meticulously structured. \u201cI started my day at 7:00 a.m. with morning practice, then ate, rested and headed back to the pool for another session,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

His evenings were equally packed: \u201cWe had a recovery session, sometimes meeting with a psychologist as well. After that, we called it a day. We repeated this pretty much daily.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recovery plays an equally vital role in his performance. \u201cGetting enough sleep, massages and mental health support is important,\u201d Mateos says. Preparing for the Olympics required every aspect of his routine\u2014physical, mental and emotional\u2014to align perfectly.<\/p>\n

He continues to balance this demanding routine with other commitments, especially his MBA studies, using careful planning and discipline. \u201cTime management has been key,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s tough sometimes, but setting clear priorities and planning ahead makes everything possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Looking ahead: Swimming to sports management<\/h2>\n

With his MBA, Mateos is preparing for his long-term career goal of sports management, where he hopes to bring his experience as an athlete to the managerial and administrative side of the industry. \u201cI\u2019m interested in running events, managing teams or even starting my own business,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

His MBA coursework, particularly in leadership and HR, has helped him understand how to manage diverse teams and create collaborative environments. These skills will help him with career advancement.<\/p>\n

\u201cSwimming might be an individual sport, but there\u2019s a whole team behind you including coaches, nutritionists and psychologists. My MBA is teaching me how to lead and resolve conflicts while inspiring collaboration,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Mateos also recognizes the growing significance of athletes as brands in the evolving sports industry. \u201cAthletes are not just competitors at this time; they are also powerful brands. They can share a message and inspire through their actions,\u201d he explains. He sees massive opportunities for athletes to connect with audiences through content creation and partnerships, particularly on social media.<\/p>\n

When it comes to his own social media presence, Mateos focuses on sharing authentic moments from his journey. \u201cI try to keep it related to what I\u2019m doing in terms of swimming\u2014sharing content about my training, competitions and representing Purdue. My goal is to showcase my journey and inspire others,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Inspiring the next generation<\/h2>\n
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Matheo Mateos with teammates<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mateos\u2019 advice to aspiring athletes reflects the lessons he has learned throughout his journey. \u201cYou should start early in building skills outside your sport. Networking is truly valuable,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs an athlete, you have the advantage of discipline, sacrifice and commitment. Companies recognize and value it,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt\u2019s important to take advantage of those traits and go outside your sport to build meaningful relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reflecting on his own experiences, he finds the most rewarding part of his journey has been the path itself. \u201cIt\u2019s not about the final goal\u2014going to the Olympics or earning a degree\u2014it\u2019s about enjoying every single step along the way,\u201d he shares.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting my degree from an outstanding university while continuing to do what I love has been incredible,\u201d he adds. Looking ahead, Mateos is eager to embrace new challenges and milestones.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Balancing Dreams Olympic swimmer Matheo Mateos talks about his sport, academics and future plans Written by\u00a0Riti Dave Published on\u00a001-17-2025 \u201cIt was years of sacrifice, commitment and discipline that finally ended up working out.\u201d For Matheo Mateos, the words\u00a0sacrifice, commitment and discipline\u00a0encapsulate the dedication that led him to represent his country in the 200-meter individual medley […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[88,191,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-informacion","category-natacion","category-sin-categoria"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fepada.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fepada.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fepada.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fepada.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fepada.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=60269"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fepada.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60269\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60270,"href":"https:\/\/fepada.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60269\/revisions\/60270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fepada.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=60269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fepada.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=60269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fepada.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=60269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}