Tania Elias Calles Wolf, a daring young women who qualifies as Mexico’s sweetheart on the international sailing circuit, was warmly received Saturday, August 11 for a guest appearance at the Chapala’s Club de Yates.
The motive of her visit was to present a memoir of her sporting career, fittingly titled Desafio, a word that in her case may be best translated as defiance. She captivated a full house of Lake Chapala sailing enthusiasts with an engaging summary of the personal challenges, upsets and victories she has experienced over the short life span of 34 years.
Born in Mexico City in 1979, the pert and physically slight athlete first took up sailing at age six. By age 10 she was a national champion in the sport. She went on to earn gold and silver medals in top level Latin American competitions and honorably represent Mexico in the Athens, Beijing and London Olympic Games.Her greatest triumph was setting a Guiness Record in 2010 with a gutsy 66-hour solo journey across the high seas from Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, to La Cruz de Huanacaxtle in Nayarit.
Odds on, she inherited strong character and grit from her grandfather, Plutarco Elias Calles, who rose up from a childhood of deprivation become a famed Mexican general and serve president of the nation.