Teresa Oliva Pérez

Cuban gymnast. Glory of Cuban sports. Known as "La Profe Teresa". Example of unconditional dedication to sport. Her trajectory in sports as an athlete, coach, referee and sports administrator has made her worthy of many decorations, such as the diploma accrediting her as an Expert in Gymnastics delivered in 1981 by the President of the IOC (International Olympic Committee) Juan Antonio Samaranch. Currently she is retired but not withdrawn from the sport as she continues working to develop Cuban women's gymnastics and guarantee the succession of future coaches and judges.

She was born in the province of Cienfuegos, a woman who has been and will be one of the main protagonists in the history of women's gymnastics in Cuba. In 1941 she moved to Havana City with her family.

She began in the sport in 1955 as a student at the Superior Institute of Havana. In 1977 she graduated as a Bachelor of Physical Culture with a specialty in Women's Artistic Gymnastics. Since 1990 she has been an Assistant Associate Professor at the Manuel Fajardo University of Physical Culture and Sports Sciences (UCCFD).

She has accumulated great merits throughout her life as an athlete, coach, referee and sports administrator.

Loved and respected by all, strict in discipline and compliant with professional ethics. Even today, those who were once her students affectionately call her "La Profe Teresa".

This symbol of a woman dedicated to the development of her beloved sport treasures in her home her greatest treasures, her 3 children and 4 grandchildren, whom she has raised under the principles of morality, love for her country and unconditional dedication to studies and professional development.

Currently at 71 years old she is retired, but not withdrawn from her sport as she continues to support it in every way necessary, not only in refereeing, but also in analyzing selections of gymnasts, in advising young coaches, in teaching courses for the preparation and updating of national and international judges, in the organization and judging of competitions, among other activities. This sport, as she states, "is like another daughter that I must care for and defend".

She began in 1955, as a student at the Havana Institute. At first she dedicated herself to track and field (100-meter dash and discus throw), until she decided to take the gymnastics trials and was accepted. Thus began her great love and dedication to this sports discipline.

In 1959 with the triumph of the Revolution, sports policy in the country changed radically, the first steps were taken to form a National Women's Gymnastics Team, with her as one of its members. The first competition was held in Cuba with a team from the United States and later both teams faced off again in the United States.

She prepared with the team to participate in the Rome Olympic Games in 1960, but only two athletes were able to attend that sporting event. With the arrival of two Czech coaches, they continued training and participated in the World Championship in Prague in 1962.

In 1963 she participated with the team in the Pan American Games in Brazil (São Paulo), and in the University Games in Brazil (Porto Alegre), placing in both in 3rd place by team.

In 1961 after finishing high school, she received a course for Sports Instructors and Officers and was placed as a coach at the CVD "Franz D´Beche" in the municipality of Guanabacoa, training athletes of different categories. That same year she reaped her first fruits in competitions at the municipal level where her pupils obtained first places in all three categories.

This was Teresa Oliva, athlete of the national team in the morning and coach in the afternoon-evening.

In 1964 she concluded her activity as an active athlete and dedicated herself entirely to being a coach, first in the gymnasium of Ciudad Libertad "Marcelo Salado", later at the Annex School of the Superior School of Physical Education.

In 1967 she was called to be coach of the National Women's Gymnastics Team until 1978. By that time she was mother of her two first children, but that did not prevent her from distributing her time to be a mother, wife and coach. She worked with a coach from the former Soviet Union in preparing the team, which she led in the Mexico Olympics 1968, Central American Games in Panama 1970 and Santo Domingo 1974 (in both Cuba won the gold medal) and the Pan American Games in Winnipeg 1967 (bronze), Cali 1971 (silver) and Mexico 1975 (silver).

In 1968 the National School of Gymnastics was inaugurated, and she was part of the group of coaches there until 1981, when cardiac problems were detected and she was unable to continue her activity as a coach. It was then that she was promoted to Subdirector of that center, a position she held until 1993 and subsequently became Director until 1998.

In 1998 she decided to retire as her mother was very ill, the person who supported her unconditionally throughout her life in raising her children. She retired, but did not withdraw from sports, because she continues to support it to this day.

Participation in sporting events as a coach
North American Championship in Canada 1968.
Americas Cup in 1972, 1974 and 1977.
Classification competition for 1976 Olympic Games in Hamburg, West Germany.

Career as National Judge
In 1962, already a National Judge in her sport, she was named National Responsible for Rules and Refereeing (a position she still holds), with tasks including the training and updating of national and international judges and the direction of all national and international competitions in Cuba.

Career as International Judge
In 1967 she received the first course for international judge in Mexico, which she passed, but since it was established that to receive an International Judge card she had to serve as judge satisfactorily in 3 international competitions, she received it in 1969, after judging the 1967 Pan American Games, the 1967 Mexico Pre-Olympic and the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games. Therefore she has maintained her status as International Judge from 1969 to the present.

Responsibilities at the National Level
National Responsible for Rules and Refereeing of Women's Artistic Gymnastics.
Member of the Technical Commission of Women's Artistic Gymnastics.
Member of the Cuban Gymnastics Federation.

Responsibilities at the International Level
In 1970 within the framework of the Central American and Caribbean Games in Panama, the Pan American Gymnastics Confederation was established, appointing her Technical Director of Pan American Women's Artistic Gymnastics, a position she held until 1987, directing competitions in the Americas region.

In 1988, within the framework of the Seoul Olympics, the FIG (International Gymnastics Federation) Congress was held, where she was elected Member of the FIG Women's Technical Committee.

In 1992, elected Vice President of the FIG WTC.

In 1996, elected as Member of the WTC (Women's Technical Committee) of the FIG.

In 2000, appointed Honorary Member of the FIG.

Courses Taught
National courses and seminars
Courses for training and updating national judges: annually.
Improvement courses for coaches.

Olympic Solidarity Courses taught in different countries
Panama (on 2 occasions)
Teresa Courses
Teresa Courses
Colombia (on 3 occasions)
Cuba (on 2 occasions)
Peru (on 2 occasions)
Dominican Republic (on 3 occasions)
Bolivia (on 1 occasion)
Argentina (on 1 occasion)

Intercontinental Courses taught
1992 in France
1996 in the United States
2001 in the Netherlands

Courses for international judges
She taught courses for the training and updating of international judges in different countries such as: Cuba, Mexico, Panama, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela, El Salvador, Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile and Peru.

Courses received
Intercontinental courses for judges
1967 in Mexico
1971 in Spain
1976 in France
1980 in the former Soviet Union
1984 in Switzerland
1988 in Germany

UPAG Congresses
She has participated in UPAG Congresses from 1971 to 2007, which are held every four years within the framework of the Pan American Games.

FIG Congresses
She has participated in these Congresses which are also held every four years, from 1970 to 1988 representing Cuba and from 1992 to 2000 as a member of the FIG.

Most important competitions. International judge
Olympic Games: 1968, 1972, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004
Pre-Olympics: 1967, 1995
World Championships: 1970, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2003
World Cups: 1990, 1998, 2000 and 2004
World Universiad: 1973, 1983, 1985 and 1987
Pan American Games: 1967, 1971, 1975, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007
Central American and Caribbean Games: 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1998, 2002 and 2006
Americas Cup: 1969, 1974, 1985, 1989 and 1990
Pan American Gymnastics Championship: 1997
Central American Sports Games: 1997 and 2001
Ibero-American Gymnastics Games 1998
Pacific Games: 1995

Publications in which she has participated
Development of study plans and programs for the EIDE, Special Areas, Mass Areas (1980).
Development of study plans (1985).
Sub-Systems (1985)
Development of the Athlete Preparation Plan (1988).
Translation to Spanish of the FIG Scoring Code (1989).
Translation of Mandatory World Exercises for the 1989-92 cycle (1989).

Distinctions granted
Diploma of "Expert" granted by the IOC in 1981.
Medal "Martyrs of Barbados" granted by INDER in 1983.
"Gold Seal" granted by the Pan American Gymnastics Union in 1983.
Medal "Rafael María de Mendive" granted by MINED in 1986.
"Order of Pan American Gymnastics Merit", Indianapolis in 1987.
"Order of Sports Merit", granted by the Council of State in 1991.
Diploma from the Argentine Olympic Committee in 1988.
Honor and Merit - Panama 1988.
Medal for the 35 years of INDER in 1996.
Medal "40th Anniversary of INDER" in 2001.
Provincial Vanguard Medal 1997 and 1998.
Plaque for the 25 years of ESEF.
Reading of the Oath for Judges at the Pan American Games in Cuba, 1991.
Diploma of "Honorary Judge of the FIG" in 1998.
Member of the FIG WTC from 1988 to 2000.
Honorary Member of the FIG since 2000.