Meet Marcela Lopez

Brazil's Super Girl! is Sportaerobics' World Champion Many Times Over

Marcela, a native Brazilian was born in 1977 the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Marcela's mother was born in the state of Bahia, Brazil, and her father is originally from Barcelona, Spain, having moved to Brazil as a teenager. Her parents met in São Paulo, at the tender ages of 15 and 17 years old.The early years of their marriage they lived with Marcela's father's family. Marcela was born in her grandmother's house, and lived with her until almost six years old. Marcela has one sister named Marina.

Marcela was only three years old when she started school, and only four when she started ballet classes. At age seven, she continued ballet, and added jazz dance, rythmic gymnastics, and finally she started "Aerokids" classes at the age of 10. In1995 she had her first experience competing in aerobics along with 14 other girls, under coach Luciana July. Marcela had wanted to compete right from the start as an individual, but coach Luciana didn't let her because she thought it was premature. The in 1996, she competed for the first time as a trio with sister Marina and friend, Cibele Oliani. She studied at three different schools during this period, but Colégio João XXIII has been the most significant for her, having studied there from the age of 7 through 16. "Joining a fitness club at 20 years old, Marcela began instructing aerobics after one of the onsite male instructors recommended she give it a try.

Marcela's thoughts for the future include first succeeding professionally, utilizing and applying her university education in physical education to her career and future vocation. Her dream is to become an aerobics and gymnastics coach, and to someday coach a team all the way to the Olympic games. She certainly hopes to enjoy financial success as a result of her career path, which will allow her to take care of her parents.

She'd also like to marry one day and would love to have specifically two children, but hopes this dream will follow the other many things she wants to experience in life..


Interview with Marcela Lopez (ML):

IAF HQ: Tell us about your exercise history, so to speak?

ML: "I have always practiced many sports, for example: from age four to seven years old, I was part of a group called COD (a groups of sport orientation) where I basically initiated my "sportive" life. I learned a little about everything related to sports. From age seven to 10, I practiced classical ballet , jazz dance, and rhythmic gymnastics (GR), in addition to the sports played in school like volleyball and handball. Since the age of 10, I found myself in aerobics. It was then that I quit rhythmic gymnastics; however, I continued with ballet and with jazz dance. At age 14, I stopped jazz and graduated from ballet. I stopped ballet at age 15, but I today I continue dancing in shows and presentations. I later I got into “Capoeira”, a sport that I practise until today along with the sportaerobics."

IAF HQ: How did you actually start/find out about sportaerobics? And how did you begin?

ML: "I used to practice a lot of sports at the sports club, and I used to spend all afternoon over there. Then a new kind of class came up, called AEROKIDS, which was very similar to aerobics. I got interested right away, just like all the other kids, so I started taking it. Three months later, Luciana July, the coach, asked me to participate part on a higher practice team, which got me very excited, because I loved the idea of practicing constantly, for championships, etc. That is the reason why I chose aerobics, I felt good about practicing every day for competitions, and to be day by day trying to get a good result, and even a medal.".

So I joined this fitness club and it was there that I met a male instructor who recommended that I become an instructor as well. It was September 1987; I was 20 years old.

IAF HQ: What do you consider the hardest part of your training?

ML: "I think that, for me, the most difficult part of the training is to improve the heart´s capability, because everything is so intense and we have to repeat the routine a lot of times in a row, and repeat some specific parts like elements as well."


IAF HQ: How many days do you train in a week? How long do you train each day?

ML: "I use to practice 5 days a week, for 5 hours a day".


IAF HQ: What do you think is the most important thing you do to prepare for a big event?

ML: "I think to get a good result and to for self-satisfaction in a championship, you have to work on the technique part, but you must equally work on the mental part too. When you are about to get on the stage to do the routine must be calm, relaxed, secure about the routine and conscious about what might happen in the championship."


IAF HQ: What was your greatest routine? And what was one of your greatest moments?

ML: "My favorite routine, was the one from 1999, the one that used the song “Mujer Latina” by Thalia. It is my favorite because was it was the routine that I was able to create, I put something personal into it, some of what I am. I think that my best moment has being going on since two years ago, where people could see my real potential, my evolution through the years, now in the adult category."


IAF HQ: What advice do you offer the youth athletes of today?

ML: "My advice to all young athletes is to be trained sufficiently, to search your objectives and to not simply measure the effort it takes to reach your true objectives. Beyond everything, never give up on your dreams and place humility to the front of everything you do."


IAF HQ: Are you also an aerobics instructor? If so, how many lessons do you lead in a week and what types of lessons do you teach?

ML: "I am not a teacher as of yet, I am attending the second year of Physical Education (college course), but I intend to teach aerobics, passing all my experience and bringing with each class even more people to this beautiful sport.".


IAF HQ: Which sportaerobics athlete do you admire most and why?

ML: "I admire Kenichiro Nomura of Japan and Olga Cardoso of Brazil first and foremost for their charisma, technique, and the extraordinary abilities that those two possess. Moreover I admire Kenichiro for the happiness and love that he demonstrates while passing through his routine... it's just pretty! Olga for her constant strength and humility. Since I've started in the individual category, she has been my idol. I have based my self on her choreography, and on her as a person, for the person she is."


IAF HQ: What is one of your main life's goals?

ML: "My biggest objective in life is to be happy in the area of Physical Education, which I love so much. I hope to graduate, to finish my course in college, and to continue inside of the aerobics industry, practicing up until it is still possible for me to do so as well as to teach as long as I can. It is from this that I find that life will give the chances to me, that life will bring me opportunity. It will then be my treat in life to absorb what life brings and grow from it more and more."



IAF HQ: Thank you Marcela for sharing a bit of yourself and your life with us. You are an amazing athlete—a stunningly powerful performer! We look forward to your performances and ability to continue to WOW us for many years to come!