Nothing is possible unless you have the opportunity to pursue it. Sports offer many amazing opportunities for athletes everywhere. For Maloles Buruaga, opportunity is everything.

Maloles Buruaga is a sophomore at Ringwood high school. She is originally from Spain but moved to the United States with her host parents. Since making the move, Maloles has become part of her high school’s track, basketball, and softball teams. The sport she finds the most success in is track. “When I arrived here I was excited to do it. I am a long-distance runner and I like the feeling it gives me,” said Maloles.

“What motivates me is the feeling of improvement, and knowing that every day I am 1% better than the day before,” said Maloles. Her motivation makes it easy for her to dedicate herself to her craft. “I practice every day for around 2 hours,” said Maloles. Her work ethic also pays off in the classroom where she is a straight-A student. She wants to be the best at whatever she does and make the best of every opportunity she has.

Being from Spain and now living with host parents, family is a big part of Maloles’ life. She has a lot of family members that she looks up to and is very thankful for all of them. She is very thankful for her parents in Spain.

“My parents taught me great values and gave me the opportunity to game here,” said Maloles. “I look up to my host parents here too, they are loving and hardworking people.”

Her extended family is also very important to her.

“My grandma in Spain, Maria Delores, never forgets about me and texts me everyday,” said Maloles.

She is surrounded by two very loving and supportive families that think very highly of her.

In the future, Maloles wants to pursue a career as a doctor in the Spanish Air Force. She has learned a lot of things during her change of demographics and plans to use the dedication she learned from sports and apply it to everyday life.