June 24, 2025 • 34 mins
On this episode, hosts Cami and Meli discuss the topic that is top of mind for most people in the US - the immigration raids. The ladies tackle the issue through a sports lens - How is ICE enforcement at soccer games affecting ticket sales? And is this good for the game on an international level as we look ahead to next year’s World Cup?
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi everyone.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
My name is Camila Ramon and I'm Melissa Ortiz and
this is asta bajo. On every episode we got to
start with some gafcito or today maybe some matte.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
And catch up. Mellie, where are you at? I don't
even know where you're at.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
Girlfriend, I don't even know where I'm at at this point,
I'm in Atlanta. Looks up at l.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
I.
Speaker 4 (00:39):
This is this is, this is amazing, Gammy. I don't
see you often with matte. Obviously you're Argentinian, but I
know you well and you don't drink matte often. But
you also just came back from Arentina. You think, okay akao.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, I was in Argentina with may Aouila, living a life,
playing scrabble with her for like two and a half weeks,
and I came back drinking mate.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
But also it was also because.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
I've tried to drink mate so many times before, and
I was like drinking it at the wrong times, like
I was like drinking on empty stomach and then getting nausea.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Not good, do not recommend.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
But now I got a different ye bah, and I'm
drinking in at different times and it's always great, like
during a conversation.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
For sure, Hey tell me what Yerba and the people
want to know real quick, because I love Matte, I
really do. My husband drinks it all the time. We
ain't even Argentinian and we like it. But what what
is the what's the scoop yere?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
You're about to get me canceled? This one is.
Speaker 5 (01:34):
La or something like that.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
Yeah, I know which one that is.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yeah, it's not the cruse one. The cruse one my
cousin said was too strong. But he sent me another
one that he said was like a and s Liz,
my cousin glo.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
He said it. So if you got a sensitive stomach,
check that one out.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
That's not It was like a thirty and over problem
even in the Mudda world.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 5 (02:04):
Many you just celebrating your anniversary.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
I did, girlfriend, but I saw that Cristia and your
husband was at the junior game.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Yes, in your anniversary.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
This is this is an occurren Sky, so Christian. My
husband and I got married June sixteenth of twenty twenty two.
But for some reason, June for me is always insane,
except for that year twenty twenty two. I mean that
was insane because like I mean we party, we drank.
That was amazing. Then every year after that has just
been full of football. So I've been covering like World
(02:35):
Cups after that and Copa Medica and Euro and this year,
of course is the FIFA Club World Cup. So I'm
here out of a studio in Atlanta, and my.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Looks sick by the way it is.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
It's so sick, uh. And my hobby is just you know,
living up his life, his soccer life at the stadiums,
going to the game. So he went to Boca Junior's game,
and he's a Boka fan, which you love.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Also, well, gus Man, I have a question for you.
If people want to watch you, where where can they
watch you?
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Can you tell them?
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (03:05):
Yeah? So well, first off, the but any like behind
the scenes stuff obviously on my socials, so at meliss
ORTIZ five. But then if you want to catch me
on air, it's at dizone. So de Zone actually has
a free app that you could watch all of the
games and studio shows for free, and there's like a
paid one, but you know, you get like a little
(03:26):
bit of commercials if you don't go that rob but
that's okay, Like I have the free one too.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
And then some of the games are on TNT, so
like you just pop on the television and we'll be
on it. But those are those are just a certain
amount of games. I think the one I'll be covering
intern Miami is that on T and T. So, yeah,
tune into Dizonne T and T whenever there's a FIFA
Club worl Cup game. All of our studio talent's going
to be covering every game, every pre every half, every post.
So I'm hitting the books. When I'm not here talking
(03:52):
with you, I'm studying and watching soccer, which I love
so couldn't be me, but yeah, celebrate the anniversary. Check out
the video I posted on my Instagram. It's literally me like,
this is my FIFA Club World Cup. And then it
pans over and my husband's like dancing to Cumbia in
the stadium to Boca Juniors.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
But yeah, but it's all good. It's all good. How
about you coming, Okay, let's catch up. You just got
back from Argentina, right, Yes.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
I just got back from Arenthina.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
I got right back to work and I got a
new tattoo.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
What yeah, tell me more, my boss tell me more.
It's teeny.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
It's teeny weeny, But I got this tattoo on my wrist.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
It's in honor of my cousin.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
He was an actor and a professional clown, and he
lived his life with like so much joy and grace
and every day it was just like a day where
he like lived life to the fullest.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
So whenever I'm having a shitty day, it's on my wrist.
It's like a little clown cloud.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
I love it, Oh clown cloud.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Whenever I'm having a shitty day, I can look down
at my wrist and be reminded that, like it's not
that deep and that I can still choose to like
live my day with positivity.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
And with joy in honor of my cousin.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
Oh, I love that so much. Cute cute, Yes, all right,
And with that, guys, stay tuned because we're going to
talk about something pretty near and dear to our hearts.
So we'll be very back, all right, guys.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
There are so many ways for people to cover the
story of what's happening in the United States right now.
We want to cover it from an angle that is
true to our show, and for us, that's covering it
from a sports perspective, Melie, you are currently covering the
FIFA Club World Cup. It has been on pretty much
every news headline or every outlet that I've seen that
(05:51):
ICE is going to be enforcing during the Club World
Cup or at least during the Miami Games. My dad
actually went to the first game in the Intern Miami
game because he got tickets via my brother's school for
five dollars after this was announced, and he mentioned that
the stands were like empty lencha. Normally for Intern Miami
(06:12):
there's like so many people outside like making chody bannis,
like cooking, grilling, and then during the game there's like
the holy in Cha with tamboes that are out there,
you know, like playing the pats la Mourga la Cumbia.
And he said like there was like nobody there. Have
you heard, like what kind of impact is having on
the games?
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Yeah, for sure. And you know, as a soccer fan myself,
what I want first and foremost is success of this game,
the success of the growing game in this country. And
if you have you know these types of current events,
you know, it's it's it's very unfortunate, especially at a
time where not only where the US is host to
the FIFA Global Cup. But next year the World cost
(06:55):
Us is a co host of the FIFA World Cup.
What I've heard, you know, my my husband also went
to that Intern Miami game, and of course hard Rock
Stadium is way bigger than the stadium that Inter Miami plays.
At first, I just want to yeah, I just want
to state that, and yes, the ticket sales were down.
(07:15):
I don't know how in a twenty four hour forty
eight hour timeframe FIFA was able to pretty much almost
fill up the stadium, not sold out, but it was
from the camera perspective and also stadium perspective, I mean,
there was way more than what it was projected. However,
I do think it would have been an easy sellout
weeks ago if by any chance, you know, there weren't
(07:37):
the current events happening with say, for instance, the immigration policy,
with all of the enhanced security. I do want to say,
it's just we all, as soccer fans and me personally,
we all want to have a sense of We don't
want to have anxiety going into games. We want to
go to games to not only be entertained, but to
(08:00):
have an experience, to live the passion. You know, we
don't want to worry about X, Y and Z. We
have soccer fans want to just go out and have
fun and watch football right in our on our home soil.
And so yeah, have there been the effects of everything
that's going on in this current sporting event, for sure,
And like you said, like cha inter Miami, you know, uh,
(08:23):
it's it's pretty dominantly Latinos, right, and they're the wise
who are reading lava, who are doing the chy bah,
who are you know, the hard and soul of the club,
and a lot of these clubs around the country, and
then not only the clubs around this country in the
United States, but also the clubs around the world that
are coming in. You know, we watch the boat, we
(08:44):
watch Boca Boca's game in in Miami, and it makes
me so happy to see such a bagging chaa e
Boca who either travel in or are locals, you know,
Argentinos or not even Argentinos, just Boca fans from you know,
around the world, and like seeing that, just like it
just creates this sense of like unity, because one thing
(09:05):
that football does, and I know from my own experiences,
is that it creates unity. Like football is it bridges people.
And that's what I hope that this type of tournament
and next year, that's what it does not create the
separation that all the external factors that we are dealing
(09:26):
with has been doing. Like I want to see this
soccer bring people together at the end of the day
and not have a negative effect, which it has and
will continue to be on the ticketing, on the experiences,
because we are people of the world at the end
of the day, and this is the world's game, right
and if it's just a time of uncertainty to have
(09:50):
to prove whether you're a citizen or not, et cetera, Like,
there's going to be people that, unfortunately are not going
to want to feel comfortable to travel in or attend
the games for X, y or Z reasons.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
I totally agree with you on the sentiment of bringing
people together. There have been many organizations and teams that
have spoken out about this. The NWSL WNBA Players Union
addresses it. They release a joint statement on Thursday. I'm
reading this with the unions expressing their solidarity with all
people seeking safety, dignity, and opportunity. Angel City releases Immigration
(10:23):
City t shirts after the protests and so much more.
If you guys are interested in learning more. There are
so many people that are covering this also from a
sports perspective and from a different perspective that we cannot
offer you because we're not news reporters, but we do
see the effects that it has on women's sports and
(10:44):
sports in general, so we definitely wanted to take a
moment to talk about it.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
Yeah, I have to say, especially from the women's soccer side,
like Angel City released a T shirt and it on
the shirt in the front of it said Immigrant City
Football Club, and I just got to say, like, when
I saw that, I was like, Wow, that's a way
of showing inclusion, and that's a way of using their
(11:08):
platforms in a city like Los Angeles that's been going
through so much, right, and from a women's sporting side
that already tries to promote inclusion, especially women's sports, like
women's sports over men's sports. I love both, right, I'm
a fan of all sports, but one of the things
that I've learned through my experience, especially as a female footballer,
(11:29):
was like women's sports always invites inclusion, okay at the
end of the day, and by Angel City doing that,
I honestly I was proud of them. And that's my
opinion and I'll stand by it because this is a
time of such uncertainty in a community that is going
through a lot, and I think for them, you know,
(11:50):
they're using, like what I said before, football as a
way of unity, and they did it for their game.
So I just wanted to say I love that and
outs to Angel City and I know some of the
people that work there, uh, And I just wanted to say,
you know, from my Latina perspective, that was awesome.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
I also have realized as we were having this conversation,
and like leading up to this conversation, that I don't
think that you, Melie. I've heard you necessarily talk obviously
like one on one, but have we publicly spoken about
how we've gotten to the United States as a family.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
So I kind of wanted to share with you guys
a little bit about like my immigration story and how
I came to the United States. If you didn't know
this about me, I was actually born in Ahindina. I
grew up in Anndina, moved to the United States when
I was seven years old. When I was in a Hindina,
my dad was an engineer, my mom was a teacher
(12:50):
slash professor, and she also had like a sweater business
with Myouela, which I think is mad cute.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
And my dad was seeking more.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Opportunity because there is a certain cap on what it
is that you can do working doing what he was
doing in Argentina that is simply is not a thing
here in the United States. There's just so much more opportunity.
We have always been a very tight knit family. Mayauilla
(13:19):
has thirteen brothers and sisters, so my family is huge
in Argentina, very very very unified united and we would
always go to each other's houses, have a salos, you know,
have li chon, I would go. My family also makes
a lot of pasta, so I remember like very vividly
(13:40):
going to my das houses and like taking the bread
and like stealing the duco from the pan and then
getting yelled at because there was not going to be
enough sauce for the pasta that we were.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Going to do later in the day.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
And my parents made the decision to leave at Himtina,
which was extremely extremely difficult for them, but also for
me as a little girl, like it was like one
of the hardest things that I've ever done. And I
think that that's also why as I was reflecting the
last time that I was like leaving out Hindeta, I
was like, I think this is why I'm like such
an emotional person because I have so much unconditional love
(14:11):
from both places that I consider to be my home,
and I feel like this constant gravitational poll to both places,
which does not undermine how much I love one place
and does not undermine how much I love another place.
My parents made the decision to move. I remember when
they told me, I just like broke down crying. I
was like, I do not want to leave. I don't
(14:32):
want to leave my family. I don't know I want
to leave my friends. I don't know want to leave
my willows and I which is also why I'm such
a big Shaki Da fan.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
That I told you about this.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
My dad gave me the CD and then I listened
to while I was in Argentina, like getting ready to
move to the United States.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
Listen to it on the plane.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
It was like the one CD that I have listen
to it once I got here, and once I got here,
the transition was so difficult. I cried every single day
when I was in elementary school. My mom had to
pick me up for two and a half weeks straight
because I would ball and would not stop crying, and
the teacher didn't know what to do with me. I
was so sad to have left my home, my family,
and my dad. It was it was just Father's Day.
(15:14):
I was thinking about everything that he sacrificed, you know,
for our family. He was barely home. He needed to
make money, like he was just like flying from one
place to another, trying to build a base for our
family to grow from here in the United States.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
That I find.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Something that I find to be something so respectable. My mom,
we came over and she couldn't work, which was very
difficult for her because my mom is a hustler, but
she was not like legally allowed to work. So she
struggled with that a lot, and she you know, found
(15:52):
things to do. But slowly but surely we started to
like settle down here in the United States.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
And I continued to hustle because my parents.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
I never took anything that my parents did for granted,
I worked when I was in high school. I paid
for my own way through college, which was very challenging.
I also convinced my husband Luciano at the time, who
was just my friend to give me a job at
a restaurant for a month so I could finish paying
my tuition and lie to his boss so that he
would give me a job knowing that I was living
(16:25):
in a month and he was like, absolutely, I'll lie
for you. So all that to say is that I'm
just very grateful for the sacrifices that my parents have made.
And I think that, you know, geographically, I had the
blessing of being born in Ahandina into the family that
I was born into, and to have the opportunity for
(16:48):
my dad to make the transition and come to the
United States. But I do have full recognition that geographically,
not everybody is as lucky financially being born into the
family and situations that you're born into, that's just mear luck.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Like, let's just face it.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
You know, facts, Do I wish my my mom and
dad came from money? Hell yeah, y'all. I'm like, wouldn't
that be nice?
Speaker 5 (17:15):
I would love to have been born as like Messi's kid,
straight up?
Speaker 4 (17:19):
Oh facts, I'm like, generational wealth? What's that?
Speaker 3 (17:26):
We are working on it.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
Though we are a financial advisor, we did.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
What about what about you, Milly?
Speaker 4 (17:35):
Before I move on to me, I just wanted to
tell you, Kami, thanks for sharing that. And I think
a really important part of why you share that, well
I'm about to share you know our story is because
storytelling and telling true stories helps paint the picture and
helps build empathy. And at the end of the day,
(17:56):
that's what we need in this world. We need more empathy, Okay.
And I from my sports journalism side of things, like
my role is a lot of it is storytelling, and
I've seen firsthand how important it is because it educates
people and it lets them just gain insight of what
(18:19):
it's like from another pov. Okay, at the end of
the day, because I don't live the same life that
you live, right, I don't live the same life that
I don't know Fulano lives or Fulana lives, Okay, but
if I learn about it, then I could say, huh, okay, wow,
that's interesting. I never thought about that, and so I
think learning from your story, it's incredible. Why because you
(18:44):
went from being born in Argentina Camilla Ramon to becoming
you know, the first Spanish speaking Peloton instructor, like living
out your life in New York City and providing a
platform for people of all ages, colors, backgrounds to be inspired.
You've changed lives of thousands and thousands of people using
(19:08):
your platform, and you know your inspiration through fitness as well.
And so that's that's what I love to see as
like these types of stories so that people find a
way to be like, wow, yeah, that's someone who maybe
wasn't born in this country, but has it positively impacted
this country in one way or another, you know what
(19:28):
I mean?
Speaker 3 (19:29):
My girl, thank you?
Speaker 4 (19:32):
Oh that coffee hit just in time? Yeah, I do.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
I do have to say though that I think it
also goes beyond that. It's not necessarily like just who
we are as professionals or what we provide, but also
just like a baseline of humanity as a whole. That
is one of the things that kind of I have
been struggling with the most to grasp about what's been happening.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
You know. Yeah, but thank you thanks for being my
head girl. I was like cheering up in the middle.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
I was like, oh my god, I love you. And
to our listeners too. You know, this podcast doesn't exist
without your guys' support. We also see you and we
also want to highlight your stories as well and hear
your stories too, and that's why we want to share
our stories as well, because again, like we are so
appreciative of all of your support and we want to
(20:30):
help build our community and also build empathy. So back
to where we were, Mellie.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
You were born in the United States.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
Right, Yes, yes, okay, so born and raised in South Florida,
and my parents immigrated to this country I want to say,
over fifty years ago. Actually my mom was around five
years old, my dad was sixteen seventeen years old, both
from Colombia. My mom comes from a family that they
(21:01):
were better off in Colombia actually you know the Afinka.
My grandpa was, you know, really a well known accountant.
But with the situation in Colombia at the time, my
grandpa decided that it was better to seek better opportunities
in the United States and they moved. They moved to California.
(21:22):
From California, took a Greyhound bus literally across the country
to New York to find a job from my grandpa
my grandma. My grandma worked in factories in New York City.
She went from having maids having so much in Bogota
to literally having to learn English, going to English school
(21:42):
at night, to having to work in a factory and
raise two kids. And then on the other side, my
dad arrived to this country at sixteen years old. It's
pretty crazy because my dad is one of eleven kind
of like you big family, big family, and the eldest
aunt one like the visa lottery to come to this country,
(22:05):
and little by little was working and saving up to
help bring carmana Carmano to this country, Okay, which is insane.
It's it's a beautiful it's a beautiful story. And they
met separately, but they met in Queens, New York, and
they had me and my brothers in Florida. So you know,
we were the three of us born in Florida, United States,
(22:27):
in a very Columbian household. So my parents never lost
sight of our culture, of our heritage. You know, for me, breakfast,
we're always at it bus Gonzalta in the background like
so good, blasted. And so that's pretty much like the
immigration story of my parents, which was not easy because
(22:48):
they had to learn English. They had to work hard.
You know, my dad arrived to high school with that
knowing a lick of English and then all of a
sudden be just thrown into a public school in New
York in quez that's not easy. And he quickly, you know,
learned the trade and became a mechanic. And you know,
(23:09):
years later, him and my mom they're still together, like
forty plus years, own a business together. And just to
see the way that my parents hustled and worked and
my mom wanted to give my brothers and eye the
type of future and life that they didn't have. And
my mom would take two three jobs so that they
(23:31):
could put us at times in private schools. So I
was in and out of public and private schools in
South Florida, while they were also paying to put me
in soccer, in club soccer, in sports, and for my
brothers to play sports. And so they worked their asses
off to essentially for me to be able to do
to do what I'm doing now is because of what
(23:52):
they did, the sacrifices that they did, and so like
I know so many stories like that of just so
many people immigrants, whether you come from South America, Europe,
et cetera, that are like that, just the hustle and
the impact that they've given, like their future generations and
(24:12):
because of this country. I'm very proud, you know, I'm
proud to be American, proud to have, you know, been
born and raised here.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
I'm so grateful. I'm so grateful to be here. And
I think that that's something that people think is not
the case when we speak about these topics, and I
think it's because I love being here so much and
I love, you know, the community, the opportunity, the people
that I've met along the way, and even the diversity
(24:39):
and the beauty that this country has that it makes
me even you know, more proud to be having these
conversations right now. And I was just when you were
talking about your parents, I was like cheering up. I
was like, every time I'm like tearing up, I always
drink water. So if you guys see me grab my
water bottle, just know it's probably because.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
I'm on the cry, or it might be vodka. Vodka water.
Absolutely not.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
I'm not trying vodka, you crazy bitch.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
I could never.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
I was getting very emotional when you're talking about your parents,
because it's like, that's why we owe everything to our parents.
That's why as people who were not like born here
or were who are generations were not like born here.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
Our parents are immigrants. We owe them literally everything. We
we would not I.
Speaker 5 (25:27):
Would not be here. I was talking to my cousin
the other day who was like, well.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
What do you think that you would be doing if
you were in Anadia you had ever moved to the
United States, And I was.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
Like, honestly, I don't know. I have absolutely no idea
where I would have ended up.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
But I know that you know, everything happens for a reason,
and and that we came here and and here I
am to be able to have these conversations and to
be able to show up in these places and you know,
represent and hold space for our communities to like get
together and and and and and talk about these things
that are that are so important. So thank you Melie
so much for sharing. And I would have to rehype
(25:59):
you up afterwards because Melissa also went back to Colombia, right,
So in essence, you kind of like got a like
you did the opposite. You like came to the United States,
you were born in the United States, and you want
to work in Columbia. You're working for the Columbia national
team when she was playing soccer professionally, and then you
(26:20):
were also welcome there. Yeah, to have those opportunities and
to like reconnect with your culture, that's something very important.
And then you came back kind of like knowing what
you needed to do with that resiliency and that work,
hard work that was ingrained into your brain from your
parents and that hustle. And she went from being the
(26:43):
soccer blogger to now one of the most what's that
title because I don't want to mess it up.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
You got it?
Speaker 5 (26:50):
You got it?
Speaker 4 (26:51):
My title, my work title.
Speaker 5 (26:52):
No, the recognition that you just got. Oh my god,
my most influential sports.
Speaker 4 (27:01):
I don't even know the title I won, but it's
pretty badass. Twenty twenty five most powerful Women in Sports
by come on.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
Now, come on now, this little old latina from Columbia,
come on. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
That was cool. That was man, that was amazing. I
thanks coviy I. Sometimes you know, when you're in like
the trenches, I'm just like in the work crime that
I sometimes don't step back and reflect on that and
like those accomplishments and uh yeah, man, winning that award
for me, especially as a Latina, was a really important,
(27:36):
like I don't know, it was a really great recognition.
We don't do this for the recognitions. We don't do
this for the awards, but to have won that amongst
the incredible people that have had that want it this year. Man,
I just like I cheered up when I saw that.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
Very proud of you.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
And if you guys have many of this far in
the episode, I just want to thank you for listening
to our stories and hearing us out. I unders that
there may be people from all parts of the world
that are listening to this, So we just want to
thank you for listening with open hearts and open minds.
And don't go anywhere because when we come back, we're
(28:14):
closing out this episode with more sports and some music.
Speaker 6 (28:16):
Of course, do not go anywhere wereb and We're back
every episode.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
Mellie and I want to leave you with more of
the two things we love, musica and football. This part
of the show is called I Got My Fami Olsa. Mellie,
what are you jamming out to?
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Right now?
Speaker 4 (28:39):
Oh? What am I jamming out to? Okay? Okay, okay,
really quick? I love and this isn't like, this isn't
like the latest release. I just went to his concert
in Miami last week and girl Love Fonteca just hits
my heart every time. I'm like, I look at Christian,
I'm like, can we just get married again? Because like,
I don't know, I'm just full of romantic vibes right now.
(29:02):
So ho ska uh I love.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
There's a Columbian spot that I go to get my bound.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
They will know. It's frequently here by my house, and
every time I go in there, I'm like, this is
gonna he me. But I shazam the songs. I should
sam the songs and I'm like, oh my god, I
haven't heard this. The phone Skaviv's track is so long,
like it's they always hit and Phonica is like such
a good positive vibe, like love to hear it.
Speaker 4 (29:26):
Can we just take a moment of silence for his arms?
Have y'all seen his biceps?
Speaker 2 (29:31):
I have not.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
But he needs to d the routine.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
No, no, no, I feel like he needs to go
to pelas on class. We need to make this happen.
He needs to go to Pelason class. Literally, he had
the mic in his hand on stage and Christian was like, okay,
phone Seca, can you stop flexing? And I look at
my husband, I'm like, are you jealous? And he was
just like No, he just looks like he's he's like
consistently flexing. How is he holding that flex for three hours?
I'm like that, ain't they not flexing?
Speaker 3 (29:56):
That's like that, that's just him and his natural state. That's insane.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
Whatever you're doing at the gym, keep doing it.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
Yeah, And if you want to text one second Tom
to come to class many please do on it. I
on the other hand, I have to say that if
there's one thing that I love about cattle g is
that she like themes out her looks and her literal.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
Life to her albums. So the first one or for
she had.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Her red hair right then she transitioned into the pink
hair from Mayana.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
She had the pink hair.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
She it was like pink and and cutesy. And then
now for her Tropical you can see her with like
her honey highlights and her very much so like it's
like all just theme for like the tropical energy. And
I do have to say that I did this first
with Amy study the Sepsio, which is the series that
(30:55):
I did like three years ago that was like novela inspired,
but did a whole like promotion for her album with
like all of the novela icons like anai Ya Rowinson,
Gaby Spank.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
And more like and she.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
I just love the fact that she's like really into
like the Latina aesthetic. Yes it's stereotypical, but yes it
still hits me in the heart with THEA.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
And I'm okay with that. I know that you sometimes
feel a little differently, but I'm okay with that.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Right now, I'm really digging it, and I think that
like my heart really needs it.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
Okay, Okay. I mean, look, I am never not gonna
I don't know per to not to a cuttle Gee
song or just be in my feelings because it's either
one way or the other with cut and I feel
like sometimes I'm like vibeing bah and then there's other
times where I'm just like, oh my god, that's hitting,
I mean kind of. I mean, I'll always be a
fan of cuttleg no matter what is that your dog?
Speaker 3 (31:57):
He was scratching rats a little itchy.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
I like hear to the background, ras racks. We're on
a podcast.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
I think he heard you actually because he was looking
at me.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
No, I love this, Okay. So in the world of sports,
it's the FIFA Club World Cup that I am covering
and at the release of this podcast day we will
beat now in match day three, which y'all, things get
heated because that's when, you know, kind of depending on
(32:35):
the result of this last third of the third game,
who's going on to the round of sixteen, who's going
onto the knockout phases, And that's when things get lit, Like,
that's when things get for real, for real, the third game.
So it's gonna be exciting, and I think that as
we engineerer to the final, we're going to really see
a lot of even better football, but also we're going
(32:56):
to see a lot of more fans hopefully, and we're
all so going to see which the FIFA World Club
Club World Cup wasn't getting a lot of hype, especially
from Europe. At the end of the day, competition is competition,
and when your club is on the line or when
money is on the line. For instance, the total purse
(33:16):
of this tournament is a billion dollars and the winner
a billion A billy, a billy, A billy, a billy. Yeah,
the purse, the purse, So that means that the winner
of this tournament takes home one hundred MILLI Yeah, dude,
it's insane.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
Yeah, you know, the craziest thing about the FIFA Club
World Cup is from yes and Anantina is like watching
my team, like Boca Juniors playing against like Di Maria
not that MINDI and like cheering for both sides at
the same time, like was insane. I'm sure people from
different countries feel the same way about like their players
being like so intertwined for real.
Speaker 4 (33:55):
And then lastly, US women's national team games are going
on this week and next week they're taking on Ireland
and Canada. I'll be at those games too. The work
doesn't stop, the fun doesn't stop. I'm just like, I
don't know.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
Pray for Elie hushtag, Pray for Elie that she make you.
Speaker 4 (34:11):
And a lot of coffee prayers, send coffee this way
and good vibes. Thank you okay, and that's it.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
Well, thank you guys so much for joining us. That's
a wrap on this week's podcast.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
If you have any.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
Stories that you guys want to share, please drop them
in the comments on this episode, like.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
We want to hear from you guys, and yeah, we'll
see you all next week.
Speaker 5 (34:32):
Do not miss out on our episodes.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
Baby Bye says and iHeart women's sports.
Speaker 6 (34:42):
Production and partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.
Speaker 4 (34:45):
For more podcasts, listen to the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Hi everyone.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
My name is Camila Ramon and I'm Melissa Ortiz and
this is asta bajo. On every episode we got to
start with some gafcito or today maybe some matte.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
And catch up. Mellie, where are you at? I don't
even know where you're at.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
Girlfriend, I don't even know where I'm at at this point,
I'm in Atlanta. Looks up at l.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
I.
Speaker 4 (00:39):
This is this is, this is amazing, Gammy. I don't
see you often with matte. Obviously you're Argentinian, but I
know you well and you don't drink matte often. But
you also just came back from Arentina. You think, okay akao.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, I was in Argentina with may Aouila, living a life,
playing scrabble with her for like two and a half weeks,
and I came back drinking mate.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
But also it was also because.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
I've tried to drink mate so many times before, and
I was like drinking it at the wrong times, like
I was like drinking on empty stomach and then getting nausea.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Not good, do not recommend.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
But now I got a different ye bah, and I'm
drinking in at different times and it's always great, like
during a conversation.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
For sure, Hey tell me what Yerba and the people
want to know real quick, because I love Matte, I
really do. My husband drinks it all the time. We
ain't even Argentinian and we like it. But what what
is the what's the scoop yere?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
You're about to get me canceled? This one is.
Speaker 5 (01:34):
La or something like that.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
Yeah, I know which one that is.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yeah, it's not the cruse one. The cruse one my
cousin said was too strong. But he sent me another
one that he said was like a and s Liz,
my cousin glo.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
He said it. So if you got a sensitive stomach,
check that one out.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
That's not It was like a thirty and over problem
even in the Mudda world.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 5 (02:04):
Many you just celebrating your anniversary.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
I did, girlfriend, but I saw that Cristia and your
husband was at the junior game.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Yes, in your anniversary.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
This is this is an occurren Sky, so Christian. My
husband and I got married June sixteenth of twenty twenty two.
But for some reason, June for me is always insane,
except for that year twenty twenty two. I mean that
was insane because like I mean we party, we drank.
That was amazing. Then every year after that has just
been full of football. So I've been covering like World
(02:35):
Cups after that and Copa Medica and Euro and this year,
of course is the FIFA Club World Cup. So I'm
here out of a studio in Atlanta, and my.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Looks sick by the way it is.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
It's so sick, uh. And my hobby is just you know,
living up his life, his soccer life at the stadiums,
going to the game. So he went to Boca Junior's game,
and he's a Boka fan, which you love.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Also, well, gus Man, I have a question for you.
If people want to watch you, where where can they
watch you?
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Can you tell them?
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (03:05):
Yeah? So well, first off, the but any like behind
the scenes stuff obviously on my socials, so at meliss
ORTIZ five. But then if you want to catch me
on air, it's at dizone. So de Zone actually has
a free app that you could watch all of the
games and studio shows for free, and there's like a
paid one, but you know, you get like a little
(03:26):
bit of commercials if you don't go that rob but
that's okay, Like I have the free one too.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
And then some of the games are on TNT, so
like you just pop on the television and we'll be
on it. But those are those are just a certain
amount of games. I think the one I'll be covering
intern Miami is that on T and T. So, yeah,
tune into Dizonne T and T whenever there's a FIFA
Club worl Cup game. All of our studio talent's going
to be covering every game, every pre every half, every post.
So I'm hitting the books. When I'm not here talking
(03:52):
with you, I'm studying and watching soccer, which I love
so couldn't be me, but yeah, celebrate the anniversary. Check out
the video I posted on my Instagram. It's literally me like,
this is my FIFA Club World Cup. And then it
pans over and my husband's like dancing to Cumbia in
the stadium to Boca Juniors.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
But yeah, but it's all good. It's all good. How
about you coming, Okay, let's catch up. You just got
back from Argentina, right, Yes.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
I just got back from Arenthina.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
I got right back to work and I got a
new tattoo.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
What yeah, tell me more, my boss tell me more.
It's teeny.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
It's teeny weeny, But I got this tattoo on my wrist.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
It's in honor of my cousin.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
He was an actor and a professional clown, and he
lived his life with like so much joy and grace
and every day it was just like a day where
he like lived life to the fullest.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
So whenever I'm having a shitty day, it's on my wrist.
It's like a little clown cloud.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
I love it, Oh clown cloud.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Whenever I'm having a shitty day, I can look down
at my wrist and be reminded that, like it's not
that deep and that I can still choose to like
live my day with positivity.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
And with joy in honor of my cousin.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
Oh, I love that so much. Cute cute, Yes, all right,
And with that, guys, stay tuned because we're going to
talk about something pretty near and dear to our hearts.
So we'll be very back, all right, guys.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
There are so many ways for people to cover the
story of what's happening in the United States right now.
We want to cover it from an angle that is
true to our show, and for us, that's covering it
from a sports perspective, Melie, you are currently covering the
FIFA Club World Cup. It has been on pretty much
every news headline or every outlet that I've seen that
(05:51):
ICE is going to be enforcing during the Club World
Cup or at least during the Miami Games. My dad
actually went to the first game in the Intern Miami
game because he got tickets via my brother's school for
five dollars after this was announced, and he mentioned that
the stands were like empty lencha. Normally for Intern Miami
(06:12):
there's like so many people outside like making chody bannis,
like cooking, grilling, and then during the game there's like
the holy in Cha with tamboes that are out there,
you know, like playing the pats la Mourga la Cumbia.
And he said like there was like nobody there. Have
you heard, like what kind of impact is having on
the games?
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Yeah, for sure. And you know, as a soccer fan myself,
what I want first and foremost is success of this game,
the success of the growing game in this country. And
if you have you know these types of current events,
you know, it's it's it's very unfortunate, especially at a
time where not only where the US is host to
the FIFA Global Cup. But next year the World cost
(06:55):
Us is a co host of the FIFA World Cup.
What I've heard, you know, my my husband also went
to that Intern Miami game, and of course hard Rock
Stadium is way bigger than the stadium that Inter Miami plays.
At first, I just want to yeah, I just want
to state that, and yes, the ticket sales were down.
(07:15):
I don't know how in a twenty four hour forty
eight hour timeframe FIFA was able to pretty much almost
fill up the stadium, not sold out, but it was
from the camera perspective and also stadium perspective, I mean,
there was way more than what it was projected. However,
I do think it would have been an easy sellout
weeks ago if by any chance, you know, there weren't
(07:37):
the current events happening with say, for instance, the immigration policy,
with all of the enhanced security. I do want to say,
it's just we all, as soccer fans and me personally,
we all want to have a sense of We don't
want to have anxiety going into games. We want to
go to games to not only be entertained, but to
(08:00):
have an experience, to live the passion. You know, we
don't want to worry about X, Y and Z. We
have soccer fans want to just go out and have
fun and watch football right in our on our home soil.
And so yeah, have there been the effects of everything
that's going on in this current sporting event, for sure,
And like you said, like cha inter Miami, you know, uh,
(08:23):
it's it's pretty dominantly Latinos, right, and they're the wise
who are reading lava, who are doing the chy bah,
who are you know, the hard and soul of the club,
and a lot of these clubs around the country, and
then not only the clubs around this country in the
United States, but also the clubs around the world that
are coming in. You know, we watch the boat, we
(08:44):
watch Boca Boca's game in in Miami, and it makes
me so happy to see such a bagging chaa e
Boca who either travel in or are locals, you know,
Argentinos or not even Argentinos, just Boca fans from you know,
around the world, and like seeing that, just like it
just creates this sense of like unity, because one thing
(09:05):
that football does, and I know from my own experiences,
is that it creates unity. Like football is it bridges people.
And that's what I hope that this type of tournament
and next year, that's what it does not create the
separation that all the external factors that we are dealing
(09:26):
with has been doing. Like I want to see this
soccer bring people together at the end of the day
and not have a negative effect, which it has and
will continue to be on the ticketing, on the experiences,
because we are people of the world at the end
of the day, and this is the world's game, right
and if it's just a time of uncertainty to have
(09:50):
to prove whether you're a citizen or not, et cetera, Like,
there's going to be people that, unfortunately are not going
to want to feel comfortable to travel in or attend
the games for X, y or Z reasons.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
I totally agree with you on the sentiment of bringing
people together. There have been many organizations and teams that
have spoken out about this. The NWSL WNBA Players Union
addresses it. They release a joint statement on Thursday. I'm
reading this with the unions expressing their solidarity with all
people seeking safety, dignity, and opportunity. Angel City releases Immigration
(10:23):
City t shirts after the protests and so much more.
If you guys are interested in learning more. There are
so many people that are covering this also from a
sports perspective and from a different perspective that we cannot
offer you because we're not news reporters, but we do
see the effects that it has on women's sports and
(10:44):
sports in general, so we definitely wanted to take a
moment to talk about it.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
Yeah, I have to say, especially from the women's soccer side,
like Angel City released a T shirt and it on
the shirt in the front of it said Immigrant City
Football Club, and I just got to say, like, when
I saw that, I was like, Wow, that's a way
of showing inclusion, and that's a way of using their
(11:08):
platforms in a city like Los Angeles that's been going
through so much, right, and from a women's sporting side
that already tries to promote inclusion, especially women's sports, like
women's sports over men's sports. I love both, right, I'm
a fan of all sports, but one of the things
that I've learned through my experience, especially as a female footballer,
(11:29):
was like women's sports always invites inclusion, okay at the
end of the day, and by Angel City doing that,
I honestly I was proud of them. And that's my
opinion and I'll stand by it because this is a
time of such uncertainty in a community that is going
through a lot, and I think for them, you know,
(11:50):
they're using, like what I said before, football as a
way of unity, and they did it for their game.
So I just wanted to say I love that and
outs to Angel City and I know some of the
people that work there, uh, And I just wanted to say,
you know, from my Latina perspective, that was awesome.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
I also have realized as we were having this conversation,
and like leading up to this conversation, that I don't
think that you, Melie. I've heard you necessarily talk obviously
like one on one, but have we publicly spoken about
how we've gotten to the United States as a family.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
So I kind of wanted to share with you guys
a little bit about like my immigration story and how
I came to the United States. If you didn't know
this about me, I was actually born in Ahindina. I
grew up in Anndina, moved to the United States when
I was seven years old. When I was in a Hindina,
my dad was an engineer, my mom was a teacher
(12:50):
slash professor, and she also had like a sweater business
with Myouela, which I think is mad cute.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
And my dad was seeking more.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Opportunity because there is a certain cap on what it
is that you can do working doing what he was
doing in Argentina that is simply is not a thing
here in the United States. There's just so much more opportunity.
We have always been a very tight knit family. Mayauilla
(13:19):
has thirteen brothers and sisters, so my family is huge
in Argentina, very very very unified united and we would
always go to each other's houses, have a salos, you know,
have li chon, I would go. My family also makes
a lot of pasta, so I remember like very vividly
(13:40):
going to my das houses and like taking the bread
and like stealing the duco from the pan and then
getting yelled at because there was not going to be
enough sauce for the pasta that we were.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Going to do later in the day.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
And my parents made the decision to leave at Himtina,
which was extremely extremely difficult for them, but also for
me as a little girl, like it was like one
of the hardest things that I've ever done. And I
think that that's also why as I was reflecting the
last time that I was like leaving out Hindeta, I
was like, I think this is why I'm like such
an emotional person because I have so much unconditional love
(14:11):
from both places that I consider to be my home,
and I feel like this constant gravitational poll to both places,
which does not undermine how much I love one place
and does not undermine how much I love another place.
My parents made the decision to move. I remember when
they told me, I just like broke down crying. I
was like, I do not want to leave. I don't
(14:32):
want to leave my family. I don't know I want
to leave my friends. I don't know want to leave
my willows and I which is also why I'm such
a big Shaki Da fan.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
That I told you about this.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
My dad gave me the CD and then I listened
to while I was in Argentina, like getting ready to
move to the United States.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
Listen to it on the plane.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
It was like the one CD that I have listen
to it once I got here, and once I got here,
the transition was so difficult. I cried every single day
when I was in elementary school. My mom had to
pick me up for two and a half weeks straight
because I would ball and would not stop crying, and
the teacher didn't know what to do with me. I
was so sad to have left my home, my family,
and my dad. It was it was just Father's Day.
(15:14):
I was thinking about everything that he sacrificed, you know,
for our family. He was barely home. He needed to
make money, like he was just like flying from one
place to another, trying to build a base for our
family to grow from here in the United States.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
That I find.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Something that I find to be something so respectable. My mom,
we came over and she couldn't work, which was very
difficult for her because my mom is a hustler, but
she was not like legally allowed to work. So she
struggled with that a lot, and she you know, found
(15:52):
things to do. But slowly but surely we started to
like settle down here in the United States.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
And I continued to hustle because my parents.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
I never took anything that my parents did for granted,
I worked when I was in high school. I paid
for my own way through college, which was very challenging.
I also convinced my husband Luciano at the time, who
was just my friend to give me a job at
a restaurant for a month so I could finish paying
my tuition and lie to his boss so that he
would give me a job knowing that I was living
(16:25):
in a month and he was like, absolutely, I'll lie
for you. So all that to say is that I'm
just very grateful for the sacrifices that my parents have made.
And I think that, you know, geographically, I had the
blessing of being born in Ahandina into the family that
I was born into, and to have the opportunity for
(16:48):
my dad to make the transition and come to the
United States. But I do have full recognition that geographically,
not everybody is as lucky financially being born into the
family and situations that you're born into, that's just mear luck.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Like, let's just face it.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
You know, facts, Do I wish my my mom and
dad came from money? Hell yeah, y'all. I'm like, wouldn't
that be nice?
Speaker 5 (17:15):
I would love to have been born as like Messi's kid,
straight up?
Speaker 4 (17:19):
Oh facts, I'm like, generational wealth? What's that?
Speaker 3 (17:26):
We are working on it.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
Though we are a financial advisor, we did.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
What about what about you, Milly?
Speaker 4 (17:35):
Before I move on to me, I just wanted to
tell you, Kami, thanks for sharing that. And I think
a really important part of why you share that, well
I'm about to share you know our story is because
storytelling and telling true stories helps paint the picture and
helps build empathy. And at the end of the day,
(17:56):
that's what we need in this world. We need more empathy, Okay.
And I from my sports journalism side of things, like
my role is a lot of it is storytelling, and
I've seen firsthand how important it is because it educates
people and it lets them just gain insight of what
(18:19):
it's like from another pov. Okay, at the end of
the day, because I don't live the same life that
you live, right, I don't live the same life that
I don't know Fulano lives or Fulana lives, Okay, but
if I learn about it, then I could say, huh, okay, wow,
that's interesting. I never thought about that, and so I
think learning from your story, it's incredible. Why because you
(18:44):
went from being born in Argentina Camilla Ramon to becoming
you know, the first Spanish speaking Peloton instructor, like living
out your life in New York City and providing a
platform for people of all ages, colors, backgrounds to be inspired.
You've changed lives of thousands and thousands of people using
(19:08):
your platform, and you know your inspiration through fitness as well.
And so that's that's what I love to see as
like these types of stories so that people find a
way to be like, wow, yeah, that's someone who maybe
wasn't born in this country, but has it positively impacted
this country in one way or another, you know what
(19:28):
I mean?
Speaker 3 (19:29):
My girl, thank you?
Speaker 4 (19:32):
Oh that coffee hit just in time? Yeah, I do.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
I do have to say though that I think it
also goes beyond that. It's not necessarily like just who
we are as professionals or what we provide, but also
just like a baseline of humanity as a whole. That
is one of the things that kind of I have
been struggling with the most to grasp about what's been happening.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
You know. Yeah, but thank you thanks for being my
head girl. I was like cheering up in the middle.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
I was like, oh my god, I love you. And
to our listeners too. You know, this podcast doesn't exist
without your guys' support. We also see you and we
also want to highlight your stories as well and hear
your stories too, and that's why we want to share
our stories as well, because again, like we are so
appreciative of all of your support and we want to
(20:30):
help build our community and also build empathy. So back
to where we were, Mellie.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
You were born in the United States.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
Right, Yes, yes, okay, so born and raised in South Florida,
and my parents immigrated to this country I want to say,
over fifty years ago. Actually my mom was around five
years old, my dad was sixteen seventeen years old, both
from Colombia. My mom comes from a family that they
(21:01):
were better off in Colombia actually you know the Afinka.
My grandpa was, you know, really a well known accountant.
But with the situation in Colombia at the time, my
grandpa decided that it was better to seek better opportunities
in the United States and they moved. They moved to California.
(21:22):
From California, took a Greyhound bus literally across the country
to New York to find a job from my grandpa
my grandma. My grandma worked in factories in New York City.
She went from having maids having so much in Bogota
to literally having to learn English, going to English school
(21:42):
at night, to having to work in a factory and
raise two kids. And then on the other side, my
dad arrived to this country at sixteen years old. It's
pretty crazy because my dad is one of eleven kind
of like you big family, big family, and the eldest
aunt one like the visa lottery to come to this country,
(22:05):
and little by little was working and saving up to
help bring carmana Carmano to this country, Okay, which is insane.
It's it's a beautiful it's a beautiful story. And they
met separately, but they met in Queens, New York, and
they had me and my brothers in Florida. So you know,
we were the three of us born in Florida, United States,
(22:27):
in a very Columbian household. So my parents never lost
sight of our culture, of our heritage. You know, for me, breakfast,
we're always at it bus Gonzalta in the background like
so good, blasted. And so that's pretty much like the
immigration story of my parents, which was not easy because
(22:48):
they had to learn English. They had to work hard.
You know, my dad arrived to high school with that
knowing a lick of English and then all of a
sudden be just thrown into a public school in New
York in quez that's not easy. And he quickly, you know,
learned the trade and became a mechanic. And you know,
(23:09):
years later, him and my mom they're still together, like
forty plus years, own a business together. And just to
see the way that my parents hustled and worked and
my mom wanted to give my brothers and eye the
type of future and life that they didn't have. And
my mom would take two three jobs so that they
(23:31):
could put us at times in private schools. So I
was in and out of public and private schools in
South Florida, while they were also paying to put me
in soccer, in club soccer, in sports, and for my
brothers to play sports. And so they worked their asses
off to essentially for me to be able to do
to do what I'm doing now is because of what
(23:52):
they did, the sacrifices that they did, and so like
I know so many stories like that of just so
many people immigrants, whether you come from South America, Europe,
et cetera, that are like that, just the hustle and
the impact that they've given, like their future generations and
(24:12):
because of this country. I'm very proud, you know, I'm
proud to be American, proud to have, you know, been
born and raised here.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
I'm so grateful. I'm so grateful to be here. And
I think that that's something that people think is not
the case when we speak about these topics, and I
think it's because I love being here so much and
I love, you know, the community, the opportunity, the people
that I've met along the way, and even the diversity
(24:39):
and the beauty that this country has that it makes
me even you know, more proud to be having these
conversations right now. And I was just when you were
talking about your parents, I was like cheering up. I
was like, every time I'm like tearing up, I always
drink water. So if you guys see me grab my
water bottle, just know it's probably because.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
I'm on the cry, or it might be vodka. Vodka water.
Absolutely not.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
I'm not trying vodka, you crazy bitch.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
I could never.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
I was getting very emotional when you're talking about your parents,
because it's like, that's why we owe everything to our parents.
That's why as people who were not like born here
or were who are generations were not like born here.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
Our parents are immigrants. We owe them literally everything. We
we would not I.
Speaker 5 (25:27):
Would not be here. I was talking to my cousin
the other day who was like, well.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
What do you think that you would be doing if
you were in Anadia you had ever moved to the
United States, And I was.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
Like, honestly, I don't know. I have absolutely no idea
where I would have ended up.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
But I know that you know, everything happens for a reason,
and and that we came here and and here I
am to be able to have these conversations and to
be able to show up in these places and you know,
represent and hold space for our communities to like get
together and and and and and talk about these things
that are that are so important. So thank you Melie
so much for sharing. And I would have to rehype
(25:59):
you up afterwards because Melissa also went back to Colombia, right,
So in essence, you kind of like got a like
you did the opposite. You like came to the United States,
you were born in the United States, and you want
to work in Columbia. You're working for the Columbia national
team when she was playing soccer professionally, and then you
(26:20):
were also welcome there. Yeah, to have those opportunities and
to like reconnect with your culture, that's something very important.
And then you came back kind of like knowing what
you needed to do with that resiliency and that work,
hard work that was ingrained into your brain from your
parents and that hustle. And she went from being the
(26:43):
soccer blogger to now one of the most what's that
title because I don't want to mess it up.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
You got it?
Speaker 5 (26:50):
You got it?
Speaker 4 (26:51):
My title, my work title.
Speaker 5 (26:52):
No, the recognition that you just got. Oh my god,
my most influential sports.
Speaker 4 (27:01):
I don't even know the title I won, but it's
pretty badass. Twenty twenty five most powerful Women in Sports
by come on.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
Now, come on now, this little old latina from Columbia,
come on. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
That was cool. That was man, that was amazing. I
thanks coviy I. Sometimes you know, when you're in like
the trenches, I'm just like in the work crime that
I sometimes don't step back and reflect on that and
like those accomplishments and uh yeah, man, winning that award
for me, especially as a Latina, was a really important,
(27:36):
like I don't know, it was a really great recognition.
We don't do this for the recognitions. We don't do
this for the awards, but to have won that amongst
the incredible people that have had that want it this year. Man,
I just like I cheered up when I saw that.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
Very proud of you.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
And if you guys have many of this far in
the episode, I just want to thank you for listening
to our stories and hearing us out. I unders that
there may be people from all parts of the world
that are listening to this, So we just want to
thank you for listening with open hearts and open minds.
And don't go anywhere because when we come back, we're
(28:14):
closing out this episode with more sports and some music.
Speaker 6 (28:16):
Of course, do not go anywhere wereb and We're back
every episode.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
Mellie and I want to leave you with more of
the two things we love, musica and football. This part
of the show is called I Got My Fami Olsa. Mellie,
what are you jamming out to?
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Right now?
Speaker 4 (28:39):
Oh? What am I jamming out to? Okay? Okay, okay,
really quick? I love and this isn't like, this isn't
like the latest release. I just went to his concert
in Miami last week and girl Love Fonteca just hits
my heart every time. I'm like, I look at Christian,
I'm like, can we just get married again? Because like,
I don't know, I'm just full of romantic vibes right now.
(29:02):
So ho ska uh I love.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
There's a Columbian spot that I go to get my bound.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
They will know. It's frequently here by my house, and
every time I go in there, I'm like, this is
gonna he me. But I shazam the songs. I should
sam the songs and I'm like, oh my god, I
haven't heard this. The phone Skaviv's track is so long,
like it's they always hit and Phonica is like such
a good positive vibe, like love to hear it.
Speaker 4 (29:26):
Can we just take a moment of silence for his arms?
Have y'all seen his biceps?
Speaker 2 (29:31):
I have not.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
But he needs to d the routine.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
No, no, no, I feel like he needs to go
to pelas on class. We need to make this happen.
He needs to go to Pelason class. Literally, he had
the mic in his hand on stage and Christian was like, okay,
phone Seca, can you stop flexing? And I look at
my husband, I'm like, are you jealous? And he was
just like No, he just looks like he's he's like
consistently flexing. How is he holding that flex for three hours?
I'm like that, ain't they not flexing?
Speaker 3 (29:56):
That's like that, that's just him and his natural state. That's insane.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
Whatever you're doing at the gym, keep doing it.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
Yeah, And if you want to text one second Tom
to come to class many please do on it. I
on the other hand, I have to say that if
there's one thing that I love about cattle g is
that she like themes out her looks and her literal.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
Life to her albums. So the first one or for
she had.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Her red hair right then she transitioned into the pink
hair from Mayana.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
She had the pink hair.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
She it was like pink and and cutesy. And then
now for her Tropical you can see her with like
her honey highlights and her very much so like it's
like all just theme for like the tropical energy. And
I do have to say that I did this first
with Amy study the Sepsio, which is the series that
(30:55):
I did like three years ago that was like novela inspired,
but did a whole like promotion for her album with
like all of the novela icons like anai Ya Rowinson,
Gaby Spank.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
And more like and she.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
I just love the fact that she's like really into
like the Latina aesthetic. Yes it's stereotypical, but yes it
still hits me in the heart with THEA.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
And I'm okay with that. I know that you sometimes
feel a little differently, but I'm okay with that.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Right now, I'm really digging it, and I think that
like my heart really needs it.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
Okay, Okay. I mean, look, I am never not gonna
I don't know per to not to a cuttle Gee
song or just be in my feelings because it's either
one way or the other with cut and I feel
like sometimes I'm like vibeing bah and then there's other
times where I'm just like, oh my god, that's hitting,
I mean kind of. I mean, I'll always be a
fan of cuttleg no matter what is that your dog?
Speaker 3 (31:57):
He was scratching rats a little itchy.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
I like hear to the background, ras racks. We're on
a podcast.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
I think he heard you actually because he was looking
at me.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
No, I love this, Okay. So in the world of sports,
it's the FIFA Club World Cup that I am covering
and at the release of this podcast day we will
beat now in match day three, which y'all, things get
heated because that's when, you know, kind of depending on
(32:35):
the result of this last third of the third game,
who's going on to the round of sixteen, who's going
onto the knockout phases, And that's when things get lit, Like,
that's when things get for real, for real, the third game.
So it's gonna be exciting, and I think that as
we engineerer to the final, we're going to really see
a lot of even better football, but also we're going
(32:56):
to see a lot of more fans hopefully, and we're
all so going to see which the FIFA World Club
Club World Cup wasn't getting a lot of hype, especially
from Europe. At the end of the day, competition is competition,
and when your club is on the line or when
money is on the line. For instance, the total purse
(33:16):
of this tournament is a billion dollars and the winner
a billion A billy, a billy, A billy, a billy. Yeah,
the purse, the purse, So that means that the winner
of this tournament takes home one hundred MILLI Yeah, dude,
it's insane.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
Yeah, you know, the craziest thing about the FIFA Club
World Cup is from yes and Anantina is like watching
my team, like Boca Juniors playing against like Di Maria
not that MINDI and like cheering for both sides at
the same time, like was insane. I'm sure people from
different countries feel the same way about like their players
being like so intertwined for real.
Speaker 4 (33:55):
And then lastly, US women's national team games are going
on this week and next week they're taking on Ireland
and Canada. I'll be at those games too. The work
doesn't stop, the fun doesn't stop. I'm just like, I
don't know.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
Pray for Elie hushtag, Pray for Elie that she make you.
Speaker 4 (34:11):
And a lot of coffee prayers, send coffee this way
and good vibes. Thank you okay, and that's it.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
Well, thank you guys so much for joining us. That's
a wrap on this week's podcast.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
If you have any.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
Stories that you guys want to share, please drop them
in the comments on this episode, like.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
We want to hear from you guys, and yeah, we'll
see you all next week.
Speaker 5 (34:32):
Do not miss out on our episodes.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
Baby Bye says and iHeart women's sports.
Speaker 6 (34:42):
Production and partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.
Speaker 4 (34:45):
For more podcasts, listen to the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
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