The Dream Returns
Deisy Yourley Vélez Torres, Spain
My name is Deisy Yourley Vélez Torres, I am 31 years old, and I am Colombian. I am the youngest of 5 siblings, raised in a very close family. All my life I have liked sports, unlike my brothers. I was the only one of the 5 who played soccer. All my life since I could remember I played in the neighborhood with friends and my cousins. When I was 13 years old, I started playing soccer with the North Santander soccer league, where I played until 2011. I was called up to be part of the Colombian national team. But I had a serious knee injury and my professional career ended there. Now I have returned to playing soccer and I am playing in a soccer league in Madrid for Club Fulanita de Tal, so I have regained that dream that soccer gave me.
What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning with the photos?
In the photos are me and some teammates. The photos were taken in our stadium before playing a match. I wanted to show the moments before a soccer match, when I feel most like a football player, and our beautiful kit! Some of my teammates are a bit shy but we are all united by the same passion for this sport.
Why is football important to you and your community? How has CESAL helped you?
Football is important because it helps me disconnect from my personal problems, because it unites me more every day with my teammates and because I know many people thanks to football.
Football plays a fundamental role since it makes me feel free and fills me with pride to be able to continue playing soccer here in Spain. CESAL has helped me a lot in getting ahead here in Spain in every way after I left Colombia.
Do you play football now with any Spanish people? How do you find the Spanish people?
In my team there are Spanish players. The Spanish women have helped me a lot to integrate and to get to know football in a different way.
What ambitions do you have for the future?
My ambitions are to continue training to find a good job here in Spain, so that I can continue by myself and continue playing soccer for as long as I can.
