Angel Martinez Gomez
Angel Martinez Gomez
QUICK STATS
- Birthdate: June 3, 1997
- Hometown: San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico
- College: Texas A&M
- Coaches: Jay Holmes & Jason Calanog
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- 2021 Short Course World Championship Finalist
- 2020 Tokyo Olympian
- 2019 All American
- National Record Holder
EXPERIENCE
Growing up in Mexico, Olympian Angel Martinez Gomez didn’t have an opportunity to attend swim clinics. He learned about camps and clinics while competing internationally, and viewed them as opportunities for both the participant and the clinician to grow as athletes. “When I was 17, attending international meets, I did a clinic with age group swimmers who were learning how to swim and working on their technique. That experience helped me grow personally, as well as get into a US college.”
Angel leads Fitter and Faster swim camps, as well as clinics in his home country of Mexico. He enjoys working with age group swimmers, and has learned a lot about the sport working with kids. Martinez Gomez says, “I like the structure of Fitter and Faster camps. I like that the drills are focused on specific elements or parts of a stroke. The drills evolve until the participants nail it.” While Angel has had success in butterfly and individual medley on both the collegiate and international stage, he enjoys teaching breaststroke. He says that while it is his weakest stroke he enjoys the drills and teaching the mechanics of the stroke to young athletes reminds him how to improve the stroke himself. He also enjoys teaching starts, saying “I have my own process, or steps to prepare for a good start, that I like to share with camp participants. A good start can make a good race”
Angel credits his family for inspiring him to swim and nurturing his talent. “My sister was an Olympian, an open water swimmer who competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I saw her dedication and discipline, and it inspired me.” Angel’s sister wasn’t the only one who inspired him to swim. “My brother was a very good swimmer and was winning medals in local competitions. There are pictures of me as a young child with his medals around my neck. While many young swimmers look up to the big names in the sport, I had role models in my house.” Angel also credits his mother, saying “My mom was a big key to my success. She did an amazing job taking me to practice and to school, preparing meals that fueled my body for training, and always believing in me.”
Martinez Gomez shares with Fitter and Faster camp participants his key to success in swimming, telling them, “Believing you can do something drives me forward. Mindset is everything and you have to believe your body is capable of accomplishing something.”
