An athlete from Miami has qualified to represent Team Mexico in cross-country skiing in the 2026 Winter Olympics. And she’s the first female to do so.

“That’s one of the things that I think has helped me succeed and grow, is focusing on getting 1% better every day,” Regina Martinez Lorenzo said.

Martinez Lorenzo is from Mexico and has always been a dreamer.

“You know, for me, one was medicine and the other was, like always. As a little girl, I wanted to be an Olympian because that’s the biggest thing you can do in sports,” she said.

The first goal she accomplished was moving to Minnesota for medical school.

“I loved the program, and I thought the people were very warm, but obviously, the environment was not,” Martinez Lorenzo said. “You know, it’s right next to Canada. I got the polar vortex. It was like -50 degrees. And I’m like, why am I here?”

Regina Martinez Lorenzo of Mexico competes during the qualification for the women's 7,5km interval start classic Cross-country event at the Granasen CC Arena during the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim, Norway on February 26, 2025. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP via Getty Images)

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Regina Martinez Lorenzo of Mexico competes during the qualification for the women’s 7,5km interval start classic Cross-country event at the Granasen CC Arena during the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim, Norway on February 26, 2025. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP via Getty Images)

“This is so, like, depressing. And medicine is already a hard thing to study. And to do it in a place where there’s minimal sunlight and it’s just very hostile,” she said. “Environment was rough. And a lot of friends actually did cross-country skiing. And so I kind of took it from them. And I decided that I wanted to learn to ski as my bucket list before graduating.”

And she had people in the sport she looked up to, like Mexican skier German Madrazo, known for his pride in his country

“All these things happened at once, and I was like, you know, how many Mexicans go to the Winter Olympics?” Martinez Lorenzo said. “And instead of seeing this, like, as something miserable, I can see it as an opportunity. You know, I can’t control the situation. I can’t control the weather, but I can control my attitude. And so, I decided to try and see how far I could go.”

And so, her journey toward being the first Mexican woman to qualify for cross-country skiing began.

In just her first race, she got close to a qualifying score,

“I had only been skiing for a month, so I was like, you know, I think there’s a shot,” Martinez Lorenzo said. “And if I fail, what’s the worst that can happen? Nobody’s ever done this before. And the rest was history.”

But there was a bump in the road.

In 2021, Martinez Lorenzo moved back to Miami to do her residency in Emergency Medicine at Jackson Memorial Hospital. It was a dream come true, but her training in the snow changed to training in the sunshine.

Yet, it didn’t stop her.

“At the world championships in 2021, I met a lot of athletes from all other countries like Brazil, Lebanon, Trinidad and Tobago, places where they don’t have snow, and they are really good athletes,” she said. “So, I was like, you know what? Like if they can do it, I can too, even if I’m in Miami.”

When she’s not saving lives, she’s training.

“I was like, oh, this will be a breeze. And no, this is like the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Martinez Lorenzo said.

Most days are lower intensity, focusing on technique, balance, coordination and timing. Other days are focused on intervals and weight training as she prepares for when she will have to ski up and then down the hill, racing to the finish line.

“Cross-country skiing is for warriors. It’s endurance. It’s strength. So much strength. Balance. Technique. Yeah. It’s like, full body. Everything in one sport,” she said.

The 32-year-old has qualified to represent Team Mexico in the Olympics for the first time in 2026 and is the first woman to represent Mexico in the sport. It’s an honor Martinez Lorenzo is proud to bear.

“It’s a privilege. I love it, it’s obviously a responsibility. But I hope to carry it with grace and with poise through these Olympics. And beyond,” she said. “It’s almost like being an ambassador of your country in sport, and especially as a first timer. So, it’s definitely exciting, and it’s a great opportunity to share Mexico with the world and then share skiing and snow with Mexico.”

Regina could be competing against her idol Jessie Diggins, who is a three-time Olympic medalist.