One Rota veteran will be paying more attention to the 2016 Summer Olympic Games than much of the community, and that's because a member of his family will be competing.

Pedro Pascual Suitt, 19, is the grandson of Ira Suitt -- a retired Navy engineman who served at Naval Station Rota from 1961-1964 and again in 1966. He worked with tugboats at Port Operations and retired after a 26-year military career.

Pedro is a windsurfer with U.S. Sailing Team Sperry and recently won a starting spot on the Regatta Windsurfing RS:X Mens' team for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. U.S. Sailing Team Sperry is managed by the United States Sailing Association, the national governing body for the sport of sailing and sailboat racing. The top boats in each Olympic and Paralympic class are selected annually to be members of the team.

Pedro began learning the sport of windsurfing in Cadiz at the age of 13. He later moved around southern Spain, but maintained Cadiz and El Puerto de Santa Mara as his base of operations for practicing the sport.

The Olympic competitor has been a student-athlete spending equal time practicing in Chipiona and studying mechanical engineering at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida.

His training regimen to prepare for the 2016 Olympic Games is rigorous. He trains six days a week and alternates between sailing, cycling and going to the gym. A lot of his long-term plans are currently postponed due to his extensive preparation.

"It's a full-time commitment and a lot of things are being put on hold," says Pedro. "My college education is one of those things so I can focus on my campaign full-time. I plan on continuing my education after the Olympics."

Fifteen athletes will represent the U.S. in 10 Olympic classes.

If you're interested in keeping track of Pedro's performance during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the opening ceremony commences Aug. 5 and the games conclude Aug. 21. Pedro is competing in the Men's RS:X Olympic class.

For more news from Naval Station Rota, Spain, visit http://www.navy.mil/.