Meet Mr. Martinez, our School’s new PE Teacher! 31 January 2018

“Educating is not creating employable people, but citizens of integrity” – Cesar Bona

What would your autobiography be called?
Is it already over?

Where are you from and how long have you been living in Tokyo?
I am from Galicia, a part of Spain where is not so hot, there is no bullfighting, and nobody dances flamenco. It´s a green Spain. I have been in Tokyo since May 2017, and I love it here.

Have you lived or worked in other countries? If yes, where?
I studied in the United States, where I also played college tennis, but went back to Spain after I graduated. Just before we (my wife María and I) came to Japan we spent the winter season working at a ski resort in the French Alps.

What did you study, why, and what did you like the most?
My degree is on Physical Education – Sports Science and I have a Master´s in Sports Management. I basically enjoy everything related to sports and education, whether it´s coaching, teaching or managing.

What are your roles here at A-JIS?
I am the Physical Education teacher for Grades 3 to 10.

What do you like most about your profession?
Definitely, the interactions and relations formed with children.

What do you enjoy the most about life?
That´s a hard one… travelling, concerts, a good Kobe steak, skiing… any kind of outdoor activities.

What do you do for fun?
I am running my first half-marathon in March, so I am preparing for that!

What’s the most unusual place you have visited?
Maybe not the most unusual, but one of the most impressive has been Machu Picchu, where I arrived after a four day trek through the Peruvian mountains.

Is there something interesting about yourself you would like to share?
Last summer my wife and I went to Indonesia for holidays and we swam with turtles, that was sugoooooooooooooi.