Today we’d like to introduce you to Eddy Alvarez.
Eddy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Growing up in a Cuban household, filled with a family of ballplayers, I always knew that it was in my blood to be a baseball player. Then, one day at the age of five, I got a pair of rollerblades for Christmas. Little did I know that those pair of rollerblades and weekend hangouts on the streets of South Beach would lead me to the 2014 Winter Olympics as a Team USA member in Sochi, Russia and come home with a Silver Medal in short track speed skating. Growing up, I had always played both sports, taught me how to make tough decisions at an early age. When I decided to drop my full-ride baseball scholarship to go chase my dream of being an Olympian, I always knew that I, at some point in my life, would return to baseball.
So, immediately after the Closing Ceremonies in Sochi, I had moved back home to Miami from Salt Lake City, UT (US National Team training site) to pick up a bat for the first time in about four years to attempt to sign professionally as directed by one of my old Baseball coaches, DG Nelson. Immediately contacted a family friend, Carlos Castillo (X major league pitcher) to see what It takes to make this a reality. Went straight into intense baseball training, a few pro workouts and four months later, found myself on a flight to Arizona to sign a Minor League contract with the Chicago White Sox In June of 2014 (Olympics had ended in late Feb).
Five years later, I was traded to the Miami Marlins (my home town team) and here we are, patiently waiting for my opportunity to accomplish my second dream of being a Major League Baseball Player.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Far from a smooth road. My greatest obstacle: I graduated from high school in 2008. I dropped my scholarship and moved to California at 18 to try and make the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Dealing with a lot of pain in both knees when I was invited to train with the US National Team, I’m Salt Lake City. I came up short of that team, completely tanked at trials due to inexperience and lack of training.
In 2011 I decided to take a break from skating because of the amount of pain I was in being in a squat position all day, so I contacted the local Community College baseball coach (Salt Lake Community College). To see if I can come to try out for the team. Was named the starting SS for the 2011 season, School Paid for, All conference SS, Nominated All- American.
Once the season was over, I sat down in the office with head coach DG Nelson to talk about my future. I told him that I still have skated in the back of my head but my knees were still giving me issues. So he told me “If you want to do this, you need to go do this. Go get your knees fixed. Go try and make the Olympics. There will be a spot for you on this team always.” I began intensive treatment of PRP, Fat transfer, and bone marrow into my torn patella tendons until I decided to get surgery on both knees at the same time. The doctor told me that there is the possibility of my knees no being able to withstand the intensive training of speed skating, but it was a chance I was willing to take. Was back in the ice in October of 2012, with the 2014 Olympics in my site just a short 16 months away.
The biggest obstacle was after the surgery, being bedridden for eight weeks not being able to move from my living room floor setup. Mentally I was not in a good place. I was depressed, the heart is broken, not certain I was willing to go through all the struggles the future had in store for me. But I learned to take things one day at a time, which was the biggest blessing and life lesson I have ever received because now I can proudly say and will forever hold the title of being an Olympian.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
The LOX Training Center. Trying to be an inspiration to athletes all around the city of Miami and the world. Anything is possible!
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
They only thing I would have possibly changed: Is realizing my knee pain was not normal and doing something about it sooner. But then again, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for that life lesson.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eddyalvarez90/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/EddyTheJetAlvarez/photos/photos_by_others/
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/eddyalvarez90?lang=en
Image Credit:
Joseph Guzy (Marlins Photos)
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