Despite having never actually stepped foot inside El Campin, the home field of Millonarios FC in Bogotá, Colombia let there be no doubt that I am their biggest fan. But if anyone can attest to my loyalty, it´s my colleagues who saw the excitement on my face when I was offered a chance to work with the staff of my hometown soccer team.
In only my third week as a Corporate Communications intern for Herbalife Nutrition, I was given the opportunity to join the Sports Marketing department for a familiarization trip between Millonarios FC and Herbalife Nutrition. The team’s sports doctor, nutritionist and physical trainer met with their counterparts from LA Galaxy as well as corporate executives, scientists and doctors from the company during a five-day visit to Los Angeles.
This was an exciting opportunity for me to combine one of my passions with my work. Growing up in Bogotá, I was introduced to Millonarios by my father at an early age. I grew to love soccer as I watched the team play and  experienced the amazing culture that the game brings with it. Even away from home, I still follow the team and never imagined I’d get this close to them. When I learned that Millonarios FC would be working closely with the company, I immediately realised this was perfect opportunity for content creation and I volunteered to help as much as I could.
The trip was coordinated to share and exchange best practices between staff from Millonarios and multiple departments at Herbalife Nutrition, as well as with our partners at LA Galaxy and Proactive Sports Performance. I stepped in to capture photos and videos of the overall experience and collaboration between the teams. Through rich and interesting content, we can help tell the story of our unique partnership founded in a shared purpose of incorporating good nutrition to support elite athletes.
The Millonarios team met with our Director of Sports Performance and Education, Dr. Dana Ryan, to learn more about nutrition products that could be incorporated to the team’s diet and how to best combine them with the right physical training to optimize the player’s performance. Following the informational meeting with Dr. Ryan, they got the chance to tour the StubHub Center, home of the LA Galaxy, with the Galaxy’s sports performance dietitians, who discussed in detail their day-to-day responsibilities to support their athletes.
“After talking to the LA Galaxy  dietitians, we discussed how we  should change the structure of our facilities in Colombia to make sure our athletes have better access to the right kind of nutrition products,” said Dr. Catalina Garcia, Millonarios FC team doctor
At the end of their visit, everyone came together to watch LA Galaxy take on Real Salt Lake —it was surreal to be able to sit down and talk about soccer with professionals from one of my favorite club teams.
Bonding with the trainers from Millonarios about my home country, the team, and Herbalife Nutrition is an experience I could have never imagined as a 6-year-old in Colombia. The connections I made on a professional and personal level were all thanks to the opportunities Herbalife Nutrition provided and for that, I am extremely grateful.