MIAMI, FLORIDA.
The spectacular facilities of Telemundo Center in the city of Miami were the meeting point for an exclusive interview with the presenter Honduran Ana Jurka with LA PRENSA newspaper. It was a Tuesday afternoon and after a long day of work over the weekend, Ana Jurka He sat down with us for a detailed interview, full of smiles and beautiful memories, but also a lot of emotions. Since his arrival in the United States Ana He fought to make his dreams come true and is now an important part of the most outstanding productions Telemundo Sports.
From the 2022 World Cup to their next goal, the 2024 Paris Olympics. Every effort requires sacrifice and in this case that means losing valuable time with her children and husband. However, the sacrifice is worth it because her children are proud of their mother and her husband gives her the support and balance that her job requires. Yurka He proudly carries the Honduran flag in the United States and wherever his work takes him. Although she has lived in Miami for several years, she still misses the customs of the country where she was born and tries to ensure that her children can enjoy their family in Honduras. The most important advice from Ana For new generations, it’s all about hard work and dedication.
How could you describe the phase you are currently in?
It’s a transitional phase, I feel like I’m growing, daring and making changes in my life and looking for ways to challenge myself. Content, at peace with many ambitions, with many goals.
— Where is your support when the moments come when you have to adapt to life’s circumstances?
In my family, without thinking about anything else. In fact, I analyze everything I do the way I do precisely because of my family, they are my driving force. Those with me are in the good, bad, ugly and beautiful. They are the ones who push me to move forward.
— Where do you go if you want to be happy, where is that peace of mind?
It may sound cheesy, but no matter where it is, I feel like I unwind and free myself when I leave the city. The moment I go out, and when I’m with my children and my husband, I feel like everyday life doesn’t exist and I just focus on them, and I feel like I have my batteries back recharge, and that helps I put everything in perspective. When I travel to Honduras and can be with my family and friends, it’s like going back in time. When I come back, I remember the whole process and compare how I feel at the moment and so on. I feel like I’m free to be myself.
— Do you still feel the distance?
I never felt like I was from here, from Miami. What I miss about my country, and this obviously makes me feel the distance, is that I don’t have my family here. My whole family is in Honduras. And that’s why I try to go there at least once a year, and if not, I send my children so they can feel that, our culture, our roots. I never felt like I fit in here, that I don’t belong, I’m a foreigner living in Miami. And yes, I always feel the distance very much.
What do your children like most about Honduras?
When they travel to Honduras, they get to climb trees, play in the dirt, and see chickens, and they feel like real kids. They love this connection with the land. When I go to big events or the World Cup, I told them that they don’t feel like their mother is away: “You’re going on vacation to Honduras.” I think they feel like children who do and don’t do They can do whatever they want, they are free, and that is what they like best.
—How do you find the balance between being with your family and being dedicated to your job?
I try to make sure that the short time I spend with them, I actually spend time with them. And when I’m home I don’t answer to anyone. I also go on dates with my children and take them to the movies, to games, and this is the time to just talk to them, it’s their special time. I try to be there for them in the important things.
— Now let’s talk about sports. I imagine you live fully with the opportunities presented to you, right?
The industry is going so far that even if you don’t attend an event, you can be at that event. You now have a close connection with social networks, now we can go to Messi’s game and cover it on my social networks as if I were a reporter for my own channel. And there will be so many events taking place in this country that I think it will be the most beautiful thing ever. The Olympics are also taking place in Paris next year, and that is currently the ultimate goal for Telemundo. The World Cup is the best for us Hispanics, there is nothing greater than that, but for the company the Olympics are a very nice event in which the company, as always, puts a lot of resources and a lot of value. And as a fan I want to see absolutely everything because Olympic athletes only get attention every four years, it’s not like football players who have so many events and leagues.
—What goes through your mind when you hear the name Mauricio Dubón?
The fact that Mauricio Dubón was chosen for the Golden Glove seems unreal to me, it is a story that can continue to be told and I hope that he can continue to open doors for more children. He is a child who has seen how to move from one place to another. I hope they see it as an example, as a chance that there could be another Mauricio Dubón. I know there is a lot of talent and a lot of potential in Honduras, but they don’t have the tools or the opportunities.
— And just as many take Mauricio as a role model in sports, they also watch you on TV and strive to get to where you are. What should someone do if they want to achieve what you have achieved?
Now we have tools we didn’t have before: social networks. If you have 100 followers and those 100 followers believe you and tell five others, then you are gradually growing. You have to work hard. Apart from the glamor or seeing a person in disguise on screen, it is very hard work but it is those who do it daily, those who are consistent and prepare, who stand out in the end. You never know who is watching you. If you do something well, sooner or later someone from some network will see you, there is no easy way.
By José Armando Rodriguez