A Cuban Birthday - Ana's Story

While a young girl living in Cuba,

Ana accompanied a friend to a shooting range. It was her first time at a shooting range, after all she was only eleven. When she took her turn at shooting, she did surprisingly well.

So well, that her natural ability caught the eye of a target shooting coach which was at the shooting range that day. He approached Ana and invited her to be a part of his shooting team.

Ana accepted his invitation and chose the rifle as her specialty.

Raised by a single mom,

Ana knew she would not approve of her participation on a team,

and not just any team,

a shooting team.

Her mom believed a girl's place was in the home and didn't like her daughter's playing sports.

So, Ana kept her participation in shooting silent, for 2 years.

During those years, Ana trained and refined her shooting skills.

At 13, she had progressed skillfully and was now ready to move up to the Junior level. This meant moving to Havana,

7 hours away from home.

Ana sat down with her mom and revealed her secret.

As you can imagine, her mom was disappointed with not only her deception

but also her involvement in the sport.

It was not until Ana's coach explained to her mother how talented Ana was.

He told her mom of the opportunities and benefits Ana would reap from these talents.

Finally, her mother gave her blessing to move to Havana.

Climbing up the ranks, Ana was training with Cuba's world class shooters. At 14, she traveled to Czechoslovakia where she was awarded her first bronze medal.

Throughout the years and her travels worldwide,

Ana yearned for the independence and freedom her opponents were afforded.

She too wanted the privilege of choosing her own clothes,

or visiting sites without a constant state security official by her side.

She was even restricted from chewing gum.

Many times Ana wanted to leave her team and go home, but her mom,

the same mom that was not in favor of her daughter in sports,

encouraged Ana to continue with her training.

Ana persevered.

She knew the only way she could have freedom,

was to leave Cuba.

She would have to wait for the perfect time to escape,

even if it meant waiting several years.

During those years in wait,

the Cuban government had tightened control

and reduced the amount athletes in which were permitted to travel out of the country.

Ana, now 23,

was at the top of her game,

and one of the few,

allowed to leave the country to attend the Central American Games in Puerto Rico.

This would be her window of opportunity.

She had revealed her desire to escape to a trusted friend.

He offered his help and arranged for a contact to pick her up and take her somewhere out of harm's way.

The date and time were set.

Ana would flee before her event was to take place.

She waited at the designated meeting place for the contact to arrive.

To her disappointment they never showed up.

(Ana later found out, the elderly couple who extended their help,

could not find the meeting place.)

The cards were in her favor that day.

An athlete from Guatemala saw her waiting and came to her and offered to drive her to safety. With address in hand, Ana said yes.

When Ana awoke the next day, at the elderly couple's home,

she saw the front page of the local paper. A story had been written about her disappearance.

Ana did not want news to get back to her mother that she was missing so she decided to go to an immigration office to request asylum.

While at the opening ceremonies for Central American Games,

Ana had picked up a flier that had been dropped from a plane.

The flier, written by a Cuban exile group, offered assistance to Cuban athletes who were considering defection.

Although she didn't make the phone call to the group for assistance, they were there at the immigration office. This group of Cuban exiles is comprised of lawyers, doctors and business men, whose function is to help defecting Cubans.

Ana was given new clothes, a new hair style and some cash.

They offered to send her anywhere she wanted. She chose Miami.

Despite the fact that she didn't know anyone in Miami, she knew there was a big Latin community there, and since she did not speak English, she thought it would be a good place to begin a new life.

Back in the U.S., a local T.V station was working on a news story about defecting athletes. They had heard about Ana and were awaiting her arrival.

Scared and overwhelmed, she reluctantly stopped to speak with a T.V. reporter.

As luck would have it,

while she was giving an interview on live television,

her aunt was watching the interview.

(Ana's dad had fled to Miami when she was young

and had no further contact with his family in Cuba.)

Pondering the thought that this athlete with the same last name as hers, could possibly be her niece, her aunt called the television station. The station brought the two together.

To her surprise, Ana had several aunts, uncles, half brothers and sisters and cousins in Miami.

__________________

When I first heard bits and pieces from Ana about her life in Cuba, I was fascinated by her athleticism, perseverance, her life's journey and her incredible courage. I am still fascinated and haven't stopped asking her questions since.

More things I've learned about Ana along the way...

Did you know that she ate popcorn but once a year?

I had to ask.

It was a special treat only offered during a yearly celebration.

Once a year.

That right there, would be reason to get on a raft and high tale it out of the country.

I commit to offering her popcorn to make up for lost moments of bliss.

_____________

She turned down the opportunity to train with the American shooting team due to the fact they train in Colorado.

_____________

When Ana was leaving the safe house, the elderly woman that helped her,

gave her a bible.

In her 23 years, Ana had never held a bible.

She has since made up for lost time.

_____________

Ana had hopes of sending for her mom but it has not been possible.

She has not seen her mother for 16 years and this has left Ana with a heavy heart.

Someday Ana,

whether in this world or your eternal home,

you will be reunited with your mother.

This I know.

__________

I think Ana's success in shooting,

was merely a channel to get her to the real prize,

her family.

_____________

This is Ana's family.

Husband, Ken and her daughter,

Nina

Her son, Matteo