Kristel felt like a nomad. At 18, she didn't have a set place to train and would travel around Santiago looking for swimming pools: she alternated between the National Stadium, the Military Academy, and her university.
So she made a decision that would change her life: she moved to Córdoba, Argentina, to train with Daniel Garimaldi, who welcomed her into his own home. There she found not only a stable place to train, but also a second family.
Today, the main aquatic center at the National Stadium Park bears his name. This is a particularly symbolic honor for someone who, at age 18, used to scour Santiago looking for pools where he could train.
