7th Batch Maria Delgado from Mexico shares her internship experience at the International Sport Strategy Foundation in Korea, one of the lucky few selected for internship after graduation.
1. Let’s start with what your dreams were like when you were younger. Did you imagine yourself to be connected with sport in your career, and how did you join the path of becoming a part of the athletic community?
WOW! Starting off the interview with a bang!
No, I definitely did not see myself as having a career in sport when I was younger. I practiced sports as a child for fun and heard many stories about sport events in Mexico from my mom, who is a big fan, so it was always entertainment for me. I didn’t even think people would get paid to work in sports. I love telling this story, but after a brain injury I was at a low point in my life thinking that my dreams were unachievable. During this dark time, I discovered that sport made me happy, and then my mom pointed out that I should become part of it. My mind was blown. It was a split second in which I felt so dumb for not thinking about it before.
So, I did something crazy and applied to become a volunteer in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games because I wanted to put myself really out of my comfort zone to see if I really liked it that much. Being Mexican, winter sports are not popular, so the idea of being in an edition of Winter Games in subzero temperatures where I couldn’t speak or read the language seemed perfect, petrifying, but perfect.
It was an experience full of ups and downs, but since then I was hooked. I had found what I wanted to do with my life, and I decided to do whatever I could to pursue it. I had no idea on how to start, but I met some people in Sochi who introduced me to more aspects of the sports industry. That’s how it started.
2. You were also one of the lucky few who landed an internship in Korea. Where did you work, and what were your responsibilities?
I was lucky to get an internship, and it was the best experiences ever. I worked for the International Sport Strategy Foundation (ISF) as part of the Education and Research team. At first, my responsibilities were to contribute to a research project about the potential bid for the 2032 Olympic Games from Seoul and Pyeongyang, which I thought was extremely interesting and right up my alley. The research started from understanding the IOC’s new bidding process to looking at other potential bids and their projects, so it was pretty dynamic.
Everyone in the office was welcoming and so nice to me. I really felt like part of the team, and I think that lead me to have more responsibilities as time went by. I would help with reports and other things that were needed. It was a great experience because I learned a lot, and I also felt valued for my work. Let’s just say that the theory became practice and that was recognized.
3. How was daily life for you during the internship?
Daily life during the internship was fun. Commuting to and from like a Seoul-native was definitely an experience. Packed subway trains and everyone rushing, but it made everything more real, especially with the COVID-19 situation. My day would start by looking at some sport news and making reports. Then lunch time came, and there was always someone willing to show me some new Korean dishes. Every moment felt like I was learning something, either professionally or personally.
I will be honest and say that I would get a bit sleepy after lunch, but nothing a good dessert would fix. I would get off work at six and then have time to myself, so that was cool, definitely different from the student life.
4. What did you learn, and were you able to apply some skills you learned at DTM to your internship?
I think what I learned more than anything was to trust my gut and my abilities. I learned to enhance my research skills and conceptualize them in a report. I learned about the Korean way of working and about teamwork. I learned a lot about different international sport organizations and how they work and what each of their areas do and don’t do.
I also learned that I am capable of a lot more than I thought. I was granted a lot of opportunities to expand my capabilities, and I think this was because my supervisors saw that I knew about the sports industry and how it worked. I think that is directly linked to what I learned from the DTM program.
I think it’s also worth mentioning that I was able to express my ideas in a clear way due to all the presentations we do in the DTM modules. That really helps you get out there a bit more fearless, which is pretty cool.
5. What are your current endeavors and future plans?
Well, I was just been hired as the New Markets Coordinator in the Communications and Marketing department in the Mexican Football Federation. So, it is a bit similar to my previous job with them, but with an upgrade. I am in charge of coordinating the English social media accounts to grow and penetrate new markets globally with a focus on Mexican-American citizens from various age groups. So, with the World Cup coming up at the end of year, this should be fun: Extremely hectic and busy, but really fun.
