New Kids on the Block is a series featuring student-athletes that are new to UTRGV this year to allow everyone to get to know the next generation of Vaqueros. Look out for features every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
 
Name: Ricardo Garcia
Sport: Cross Country/Track & Field
 
1. Where are you from?
Piedras Negras, Mexico
 
2. What was it like growing up there?
It was fun. I had a lot of my cousins next to my house and we used to play on the street all day.
 
3. What is your favorite childhood memory?
On the summers, we used to go visit my family in Guanajuato. It was so much fun to play with them and sometimes go on trips.
 
4. What's was your go-to food as a kid? Is it the same now?
My grandmother always had a plate of scrambled eggs with ham for me when I got home from school. Now, I always make some scrambled eggs with a variety of ingredients to fuel after a run.
 
5. What's your favorite color?
I will say blue and black.
 
6. What's your favorite book?
I remember being fascinated by the Shadowhunters saga during my freshman year of high school and to this day, they are probably still my favorite books.
 
7. What was your favorite TV show as a kid? What about now?
My cousin and I spent hours in front of the TV watching Tom and Jerry as kids and I also loved watching Looney Tunes and the Pink Panther. Today, my favorite shows are Lucifer and How I Met Your Mother.
 
8. What's your favorite movie?
The Incredibles
 
9. What's your favorite song?
I like to hear music to hype my emotions and my favorite song to do so is Desde el Corazon by Bad Bunny.

10. Who is your favorite musical artist/group?
Bad Bunny
 
11. Who is your favorite celebrity (non-sports)?
Tom Ellis
 
12. If you could have dinner with three people from history, living or dead, who would you choose and why?
Egan Bernal, Rodrigo Gonzalez, and Eliud Kipchoge. I just want to talk with them about how they reached such a great level at their sports. They are the winner of the 2019 Le Tour de France, an Olympic triathlete, and the world record holder for the marathon.
 
13. Other than the sport in which you compete, what is your favorite sport?
Triathlon
 
14. What are your favorite professional sports teams?
The elite members of the Federación Mexicana de Triatlón.
 
15. How did you become a fan?
I competed on triathlon and you hear a lot about the elite in the racing environment.
 
16. Who are your favorite professional athletes and why?
Egan Bernal – he's a Colombian who grew up in a poor family and ended up as the winner of Le Tour de France.
 
Eliud Kipchoge – the legend that broke the two-hour barrier in the marathon even in the absence of a parental figure.
 
Rodrigo Gonzalez – the rising star that made it to the Olympics for Mexico's triathlon team
 
Jakon Ingebrigsten – the third and most promising brother from the Ingebrigstens who holds records not only in Norway but all of Europe while being only 19.
 
Michael Phelps – a legend whose name will always be remembered for the incredible performances he had in so many Olympic events.
 
17. If you weren't competing in your sport, what would you be doing?
I would give triathlon another try, or maybe cycling.
 
18. Why did you choose your sport?
I have always loved the idea of pushing the human body to its limit, and I want to find out how hard can I push through the pain.
 
19. What is the biggest challenge of being a student-athlete?
You have to commit to both studies and your sport, which leaves very little time for you to do other hobbies.
 
20. When you have free time, what do you like to do?
I like to relax playing video games, listening to music, watching YouTube videos, and sometimes drawing and painting.
 
21. What brought you to UTRGV?
A friend of mine talked about me to the coaches. They offered me a visit and I fell in love with the facilities, the staff, and the work ethic of the team.
 
22. What are your major/minor/planned areas of study?
I went to complete a civil engineering major and then a math education major.
 
23. What do you want to do after you graduate?
Go back to triathlon and try to qualify for an IRONMAN, build my own house, and work as a math teacher.
 
24. What's your dream job?
I don't have a very clear idea, but it will be either an advanced math teacher in a high school while doing work as a coach for cross country and UIL math coach or working as a civil engineer focusing more on the construction part of the job.
 
25. Who is the biggest inspiration in your life and why?
My mother has always worked hard for me to have everything I need and always puts other people's needs before hers.
 
26. What is something most people don't know about you?
I actually really like to paint and draw in my free time. I know I am by no means good at them, but painting and drawing bring me a feeling of joy.
 
27. Which New Kids on the Block song best describes you?
A. Games
B. Hangin' Tough
C. Step by Step
D. You Got It
E. Other __________________ 
 
28. Now be honest, had you ever previously heard of any of those songs or the band New Kids on the Block before?
No, not really, but the title seems like a good description.
 
29. Is there anything else you want everyone to know about you?
I spent most of my life in Mexico, only moving to the US went I started high school at age 13.

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