Salma Hayek is showing her Olympic pride with a special message to her distant cousin, who is competing in Rio.
While Hayek wrote on Instagram that she hadn't had the pleasure to meet her track-and-field star cousin Yvonne Treviño Hayek yet, she was still rooting for her.
"I'm excited to see my cousin, Yvonne Treviño Hayek...to compete representing Mexico for the long jump at the Olympics next week," she wrote. "Viva Las Hayeks!!"
Viva, indeed. According to E!, the 27-year-old representing Team Mexico is the granddaughter of Salma’s father’s cousin. She's also the first woman in 48 years to be competing in the long-jump event for Mexico. Treviño Hayek currently holds the Mexican long-jump record, with 6.70 m or 21 feet, 11.75 inches.
Though she is competing for her first Olympic medal, the three-time Mexican national champion already holds a bronze medal from the 2011 Central American and Caribbean Championships.
In an interview with Hola! Mexico, she said her road to the Olympics wasn't easy — but that wasn't always a bad thing.
"It's important for people to know that this road isn't full of victories. This road needs character," she said. "There are times where you get lost, you get hurt, times that things don't turn out as you hoped for…that's how life is, and it's the same for the life of an athlete. They're learning experiences that are very important and shape you, so that you can face any challenge."
Well said. Treviño Hayek's long-jump final takes place on Wednesday, August 17, 2016.
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