Meet The 27 Latino Athletes Competing In Sochi 2014

Some of these countries don't even have snow, but that doesn't stop these athletes from training.

Salome Bancora

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Sport: Alpine Skiing

Age: 20

Nationality: Argentina

Fun Fact: She began skiing at age 3 and competing at age 6 in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina.

Macarena Simari Birkner

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Sport: Alpine Skiing

Age: 29

Nationality: Argentina

Fun Fact: Both her parents are ski instructors.

Cristian Javier Simari Birkner

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Sport: Alpine Skiing

Age: 33

Nationality: Argentina

Fun Fact: He started skiing as soon as he could walk — his parents had him skiing between their legs at Cerro Catedral, Argentina.

Julietta Quiroga

taringa.net

Sport: Alpine Skiing

Age: 25

Nationality: United States

Sebastiano Gastaldi

taringa.net

Sport: Alpine Skiing

Age: 22

Nationality: Italy

Fun Fact: His older sister Nicol competed in the giant slalom and slalom at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

Federico Pablo Cichero

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Sport: Cross-Country Skiing

Age: 30

Nationality: Argentina

Fun Fact: His ambition was to compete at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. And he made it happen!

Jorge Birkner Ketelhohn

taringa.net

Sport: Alpine Skiing

Age: 23

Nationality: Argentina

Fun Fact: He wants to finish in the top 30 in his events at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

Isadora Williams

en.wikipedia.org

Sport: Figure Skating

Age: 17

Nationality: United States

Fun Fact: She trains 30 hours a week in the low season and 32 hours a week in the high season.

Joselane Rodrigues dos Santos

gtcdn.sochi2014.com

Sport: Freestyle Skiing

Age: 29

Nationality: Brazil

Fun Fact: She chose the sport because of her background in gymnastics and the chance to compete at the Olympic Winter Games. "What caught my attention was the possibility to go to Sochi. The opportunity came at a good time."

Fabiana Santos

AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

Sport: Bobsled

Age: 30

Nationality: Brazil

Fun Fact: She competed in weightlifting at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Leandro Ribela

Twitter: @leandroribela

Sport: Cross-Country Skiing

Age: 33

Nationality: Brazil

Fun Fact: He began skiing at age 12 during a family trip to Bariloche, Argentina.

Odirlei Pessoni

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Sport: Bobsled

Age: 31

Nationality: Brazil

Fun Fact: He was encouraged to take up the sport by a friend.

Jaqueline Mourao

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Sport: Biathlon

Age: 38

Nationality: Brazil

Fun Fact: She began skiing in Canada in 2005 after a snowstorm prevented her from continuing her cycling training. She dedicated herself to cross-country skiing after the 2009 Olympic Games in Beijing.

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Sport: Bobsled

Age: 24

Nationality: Brazil

Fun Fact: He wants to finish in the top 20 at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

Jhonatan Longhi

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Sport: Alpine Skiing

Age: 26

Nationality: Brazil

Fun Fact: He began skiing just for fun. After achieving good results in local competitions, he eventually decided to take the sport more seriously.

Maya Harrison

Clive Mason / Getty Images

Sport: Alpine Skiing

Age: 21

Nationality: Brazil

Fun Fact: "My parents had a house in a mountain village where I first tried skiing at a club. In my first competitions I made it onto the podium, and winning pretty medals gave me the motivation to continue. I became a member of the Genevese Association of Ski Clubs and continued from there."

Dominique Ohaco

Twitter: @DominiqueOhaco

Sport: Freestyle Skiing

Age: 18

Nationality: Chile

Fun Fact: Her coach, Benny Ryerson, initially went to her house to persuade her brother to take up freestyle skiing. Ohaco decided she would also like to do the sport.

Noelle Barahona

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Sport: Alpine Skiing

Age: 23

Nationality: Chile

Fun Fact: Her mother took her for a few lessons, but she didn't really like it. Her step-father then bought a house in the mountains and enrolled her in a ski club. "I didn't really have a choice. Now I love it."

Eugenio Claro

Twitter: @_COCH_OFICIAL

Sport: Alpine Skiing

Age: 20

Nationality: Chile

Stephanie Joffroy

Twitter: @StephChile

Sport: Freestyle Skiing

Age: 22

Nationality: Chile

Fun Fact: She began skiing almost as soon as she was able to walk.

Henrik Von Appen

Twitter: @_COCH_OFICIAL

Sport: Alpine Skiing

Age: 19

Nationality: Chile

Hubertus Von Hohenlohe

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Sport: Alpine Skiing

Age: 55

Nationality: Mexico

Fun Fact: "The only reason I keep skiing is to keep the flame of the exotic countries alive."

Julia Marino

Twitter: @julia_marino

Sport: Freestyle Skiing

Age: 21

Nationality: Paraguay/United States

Fun Fact: She first tried skiing at age 2 at Loon Mountain in Lincoln, N.H. She began taking the sport seriously at age 11.

Ornella Oettl Reyes

Twitter: @Mikmustee

Sport: Alpine Skiing

Age: 22

Nationality: Peru/Germany

Fun Fact: She began skiing at age 3.

Manfred Oettl Reyes

sochi2014.com

Sport: Alpine Skiing

Age: 20

Nationality: Peru/Germany

Fun Fact: Frequently referred to as "Lama Boy"

Roberto Carcelen

Twitter: @robertok2

Sport: Cross-Country Skiing

Age: 43

Nationality: Peru

Fun Fact: His wife Kate introduced him to the sport. "Cross-country skiing is considered the hardest sport in the world, and that aspect really attracted me."

Antonio Jose Pardo Andretta

Twitter: @antoniopardoski

Sport: Alpine Skiing

Age: 43

Nationality: Venezuela

All athletes' facts can be found here.