Sportswriter, mother and wife
- Jun 13, 2022
- 3 min read
It has been some years since her unmistakable tone of voice has been present in television programs. Her image -venerated by some and lacerate by others - broke all preconceived schemas. She made journalism her own way of expression, a tool to dismantle stereotypes. The synchronization of shots and audio to build stories was his best ally.
Julia Osendi, her first name, but for me and for everyone else Julita, came to television looking for a dream. Long and thorny would be the road to travel to achieve it. There were many mental walls that she would be forced to 'demolish'.
...working hard and for minimum wage and working as an audiovisual producer and newscaster for free for more than two decades
She earned a place, she acknowledges in a brief and improvised digital dialogue, working hard and for a minimum salary, and working as an audiovisual producer and newscaster for free for more than two decades. My interlocutor was now on the other side. She went from interviewer to respondent.
Contradictory and even heretical it could be for anyone to imagine her outside the baseball contours in which she always moved with ease. She set a precedent with her documentaries on the champion teams of Cuban baseball.
Of her audiovisual imprint, those dedicated to the teams of Santiago de Cuba, Pinar del Río, Serranos, Holguín, just to mention a few, stand out. There were not few viewers who pointed out that she defended to the hilt the representatives of eastern Cuba. Anyone but those from the capital, they said. Nothing could be further from the truth.
With professionalism as her seal, she put aside her fierce love for the Industriales, the flagship team of baseball on the island, the one she loved, to convey through shots and sounds the passion she felt for our national pastime. There, where no one could perceive it, lived that unwavering blue spirit.
In the XXVI Olympic Games in Atlanta 1996 she had a close encounter with the grim reaper as a result of a bomb explosion
Julita does not forget the XXVI Olympic Games in Atlanta 1996, in United States of America, where she had a close encounter with the grim reaper as a result of a bomb explosion. But not even the woman with the scythe could defeat her.
When she still had a lot to do, she said goodbye to her natural environment, sports journalism. Too much pressure on her, ignoring her transcendence, led her to give way to new generations. Despite this, she is proud of the legacy she left behind.
Beyond cameras and sports, Julita Osendi carries a large brood. For her, her family is fundamental; her support, her encouragement. She defines herself as a lover of home cleanliness, but she prefers others to ensure it.
From the 'peace and quiet' of home, not a day goes by in which she does not miss his sportsmen. To overcome those immense desires to be in his 'salsa' she enjoys a good movie, an exquisite ballet or a colorful dance. Although, she says, she does not stop following the baseball, no matter how horrendous it has become. She uses that qualifier because she is not one of those who likes to hide mediocrity. The truth has always been her standard.
Although Julita Osendi no longer appears on my screen, even if her always controversial comments are not televised, she is still that lady who was not intimidated by prejudice and knew how to weave a path for herself. A woman who imposed herself when so many men did not believe her capable. A mother who carried her profession and her home in harmony. But, above all, a Cuban sports reporter.
Note: The photos used in this interview were taken from the Internet: (1) Periódico Cubano, (2) ADN Cuba and (3) OnCuba News.
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