SANTO DOMINGO, December 23, 2025 – After a celebrated 24-year career in high-performance volleyball, 39-year-old Gina Altagracia Mambru Casilla is pivoting to a new role in social communication, believing her voice and experience can continue to make an impact beyond the court.
From Caribbean Queen to Communicator
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The former volleyball star is trading her uniform for a microphone, eager to apply lessons learned in elite athletics to the world of media.
- Mambru Casilla views her athletic career as preparation for a future in public relations.
- She describes retiring from volleyball as a “mourning” process, letting go of a 24-year identity.
- Mambru is currently pursuing further education in public speaking and communication.
- She hopes to bring empathy and respect to her interactions with athletes as a communicator.
“I always knew that my voice could not be left alone on the court,” Mambru Casilla shared, recalling how her connection with audiences and a passion for public speaking sparked her interest in this new path.
A Difficult Transition
The decision to retire wasn’t easy. Mambru Casilla described the transition as a process of mourning, acknowledging the challenge of leaving behind an identity she had cultivated for over two decades. “I always asked God to tell me when to stop,” she explained. “Being a high-performance athlete is an identity that embraces you 24/7. Releasing the uniform of the Queens of the Caribbean was letting go of a skin that I wore for 24 years.” Despite the emotional weight, she departed volleyball with gratitude and a sense of fulfillment, having achieved success at the Pan American, Central American, and Olympic levels.
Empathy on the Other Side of the Mic
Mambru Casilla believes her experience as an athlete will uniquely position her as a communicator. “I know what an athlete feels when they put a microphone on them after a loss or a victory,” she said, emphasizing her commitment to approaching interviews with respect and a desire for continuous learning. She intends to focus on public relations, hoping to engage with and navigate complex issues.
What skills from her athletic career will be most valuable in her new role? Mambru Casilla believes discipline, the ability to perform under pressure, and her hard-earned experience will be key to her success.
“If something doesn’t go well, you train and repeat it until it does,” she stated, adding that teamwork, respect, and a pursuit of excellence are foundational to her approach.
Mambru Casilla credits her godfather, Ramón Salcedo, with providing pivotal guidance. “Thank God, while I was a high-performance athlete I always worked with a life plan. I remember with great esteem my godfather Ramón Salcedo, who clearly told me: you have 2 years left. At the time I didn’t understand, but I took his advice and put into practice my planning for when that moment arrives.”
Redefining Success
The aspiring communicator acknowledged the challenge of overcoming preconceptions that athletes are limited to the sporting world, and the personal hurdle of returning to education after a 20-year absence. For Mambru Casilla, success now looks different. “Today is my peace of mind and the satisfaction of knowing that I continue to evolve,” she said.
When asked about the pressure of living up to her reputation, she responded with a smile: “Pressure is my old friend; I lived with her for years in the national team. I handle it by understanding that I don’t have to be perfect, I just have to be Gina.”
Mambru Casilla also expressed gratitude to Anthony Pérez of EDOCO, who ignited her passion for public speaking, and to Miguel Vega, Dean Lucivel Ávila, and Cari Luz Domínguez of the Universidad Católica Santo Domingo (UCSD). She also thanked her family, the National Volleyball Project, her coaches, medical staff, and the press for their unwavering support throughout her career and as she embarks on this new chapter.
