Clara Camacho is a member of the Spanish Selection in synchronized swimming and studies Psychology at UCAM, online. The tutorial system for elite athletes of the Catholic University of Murcia has enabled her to conciliate her demanding trainings of such a tough discipline with her studies. After her participation to the World Swimming Championships occurring this summer in Kazan (Russia), the Madrilène had time to relax, study and focus on a new season that will culminate in Rio: the 2016 Olympic Games.

Taking stock of what happened this summer, Clara Camacho was satisfied of the work realized and of the results obtained: "Kazan has been an unforgettable experience because I had the opportunity to perform the duo with Ona Carbonell. I completed the whole routine and we reached the fifth place, which is quite good. It has been a difficult and hard championship but we reached the level we wanted. We did a good competition and the work we’ve done has been reflected in the results”.

Even if she couldn’t get a medal, Clara remembers that they competed at the highest level and were always among the very bests: “We were kind of used to always get medals and when, suddenly, you compete without getting any, you can feel it. But this is what makes us work more and grow up to reach our maximum level”. Moreover, she shows this nonconformist side common to each elite athlete: “A fifth place at World Championships is very good, but we won’t settle”.

From now on, and with batteries fully charged, she starts to work to get at the Olympics at the highest level possible: “Before Rio, we have the European Championships, which is crucial to see how we are doing comparing to Ukraine – our direct rival for the podium. Moreover, we have to reach the classification in the Pre-Olympics”. Lots of these challenges are coming up, but the goal is well defined: "It will be a very hard and very difficult year and the clear objective will be to get a medal". The rivals to climb up the steps of the podium, aside from the clear favourites (Russia and China) are well defined: “Ukraine, Japan and us (Spain), and Italia and Canada are getting better too; that’s why we have to be one step ahead”.

About the studies she pursues at UCAM (Bachelor in Psychology), she is well aware that it is a discipline currently rising in the world of sports: “My father taught me the importance of psychology in Sports ever since I was a child; that is why I choose to follow those studies. I think I can bring a lot with the experience I am getting as a professional athlete”.