SANCHEZ JAIME Sandra

General
WELL TRAVELLED
After completing her sports science degree in Madrid, Spain, she moved to Brisbane, QLD, Australia, to work as a karate tutor. While in Australia she became motivated to progress her karate career and moved back to Talavera de la Reina, Spain. She then left to try and persuade renowned trainer Jesus del Moral, who would later become her husband, to coach her. After initially declining he finally agreed to coach her. Shortly after, in 2015 she was offered a coaching position in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. "I went from being over my head in debt, spending more money than I had on petrol driving from Talavera to Madrid, seeing the money dry up from classes every time schools closed for Christmas or for summer, to having a salary, teaching for two hours and then training for as long as I wanted and going for walks in the sand in the evening." Shortly after this move she was selected to compete for the Spanish national team for the first time at age 33. "My stubbornness, my will to always keep working and to keep improving day after day, has allowed me to reach this moment." (apnews.com, 13 Mar 2020; olympicchannel.com, 30 Mar 2019)