Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?
Melinda Herrera: The thing I enjoyed most about competing in athletics throughout my life is the adrenalin rush I got when playing. The rush of your nerves before a basketball game would start, or feeling her heart beat before the gun fire at a track meet. The buildup and excitement was amazing.
D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?
Herrera: After graduating high school, I played 1 1/2 years of college basketball, and then called it quits. I coached for a couple years between 7-8 girls basketball and freshman high school basketball. I'm happily married with three children, and have a successful photography business.
D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Vintage High?
Herrera: My favorite class at Vintage was definitely photography. I had the ability to do what I wanted and create something through my perception.
D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Vintage High?
Herrera: That's a tough one. I've been blessed with a lot of awesome athletic memories with some amazing people. The one that sticks out the most is the Big Game in basketball at Vintage, where I was benched the entire first half of the game, and we came back and beat Napa. Napa hadn't been beat by Vintage in years, so it was very exciting.
D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?
Herrera: I've grown a tremendous amount since high school, from living a life without sports, to raising my own family, it's been an awesome ride and very eventful. Athletics I would say helped shape the woman/mom I am today. I learned hard work, dedication, drive, highs and lows, and teamwork from athletics. It's a great outlet for young kids, and learning to work through your emotions, and leaving your feelings at the door to concentrate on something else is something I hope to pass down to my kids. Learning to work hard, to see in yourself what others see in you.
D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?
Herrera: Within my family the most influential people would be my parents. Growing up with very athletically talented parents has been hard and amazing at the same time. They not only were amazing athletes but had the ability to help coach me throughout the years. They lived the shoes they preached from, they walked to road I was on, and they encouraged me but kept me humble.
D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.
Herrera: Well, he's not really historical but his story is amazing. I would love to meet "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson. Coming from a life where he had little, to having a lot and living for his family, and keeping his family a priority through all his success is amazing. I grew up watching him in the WWF wrestling and now watching him on film ... but the best parts are watching his interviews about his family, whether it be his wife or mom ... he speaks from his heart and that is hard to find in someone so known.
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