Athletes share love of sport and public service at Puerto Rico’s annual competition

Juan Jaimán Manfredy has been serving in Puerto Rico’s Department of Correction and Rehabilitation for seven years. But public service has been in his family for generations, and he always knew he would follow suit.

“My dad served as a police officer, and my mom as a corrections officer,” he says. “It’s in my blood.”

What else is in his blood: a love of sport. From the time he was a child, Jaimán has enjoyed exercise and competition. Throughout the years, he has won a number of championships in the two events he specializes in: shot put and discus throw.

This spring, he took first place in both events at an athletic competition that brings together his love of public service with his love of sport.

Organized by the Employees’ Association of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Asociación de Empleados del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico), the annual meet brings together public service workers from throughout the island for a day of friendly, track-and-field events. AEELA, as the host is known, is a nonprofit financial organization that provides programs exclusively to Puerto Rico government employees and retirees.

Members of Servidores Públicos Unidos de Puerto Rico (SPUPR/AFSCME Council 95) who work for the government of Puerto Rico participate in the meet every year. Many are corrections officers, while others serve in the Department of Family Services and in the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. SPUPR plays a role in publicizing the event, which was held in late spring this year.

Luis Soto, who retired this year from the Department of Correction after 31 years, has been competing in the AEELA meet for 18 years. This year he took first place in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter races.

“I’ve always practiced sports, mostly to stay healthy,” he says. “In my 20s, I tried boxing. I also play volleyball.”

At 65, Soto says he can do more pullups than most men half his age, and this year he ran the 100-meter race a full second faster than two years ago.

“I’m going to keep doing this for as long as I can,” he says. “So long as I feel good about it, I’m never going to quit.”

Soto, Jaimán and the other AFSCME members who took part in the event enjoy the thrill of competing against their fellow public service workers, along with the attention it brings to the work they do. Thanks to the publicity the games generate, their service to Puerto Rico receives the attention it deserves, and they feel appreciated for keeping the island strong as well as their strength on the field.