Lincoln High School has 600 student athletes on 32 varsity and junior varsity teams of all types. It’s a recipe for chaos with a maze of tryouts, game schedules, permission slips, and academic requirements to coordinate.

Olga Camacho creates order for the mighty Mustangs as Lincoln’s new athletic director. Beyond tackling a massive amount of administrative work, Olga puts her heart and soul into being a cheerleader for all her athletes. She attends practices, offers one-on-one support, and even travelled with cross-country runners to Fresno for a state competition.

“I like to be impactful,” Olga says. “I want to empower students. And I want to be a role model.”

One of Olga’s most important role models was her aunt Celia Lopez — the Celia who created one of the Sunset’s most iconic restaurants, Celia’s on the Beach. That’s how deep Olga’s connection to the Sunset goes.

But it wasn’t any easy path to athletic director at Lincoln. Olga spent her childhood in Mexico and came to San Francisco at 18 not knowing any English. She looked up the aunt she had never met. Celia took Olga in and put her to work as a dishwasher.

Six months later, Olga was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She beat it after a year of chemotherapy and surgery.

Olga took English as Second Language (ESL) classes and at Skyline College and was promoted to cashier and waitress at her aunt’s restaurant.

At Skyline, Olga joined the cross-country and track and field teams. She became a stand-out runner.

She also met another role model, men’s wrestling coach Lee Allen. Skyline didn’t have a women’s wrestling team but Lee recruited Olga to become the first woman to join his new wrestling club called the Peninsula Grapplers. 

“I was fortunate to have Lee as coach,” Olga says. “He believed in women’s wrestling.”

Olga was a natural and qualified for the U.S. National Women’s Freestyle Wrestling Team in 1996 and 1997, traveling with the team to competitions in Sweden, France, and Canada.

By 1996, Olga had a bachelor's degree in kinesiology and a master’s in education from San Francisco State University.

No longer waiting tables at her aunt’s restaurant, Olga began her coaching career at San Francisco’s public schools. Before becoming athletic director at Lincoln, she coached kids for 23 years at Aptos Middle School and five years at Burton High School.

This year, she also returns to Skyline to serve as head coach of the college’s first women’s wrestling team.

Olga says someone was always there for her at crucial times in her life. That’s why she spends so much energy supporting and encouraging countless students.

Throughout Olga’s long journey, her aunt’s restaurant — Celia’s on the Beach — has been an anchor. She got married at the restaurant and it's where she held baby showers for two of her four sons.

And of course, many team victories continue to be celebrated at the Sunset institution.

“I am blessed to have the life I have had,” Olga says. “I’m grateful every day.”

Reported and written by volunteer community journalist Jan Cook. We encourage residents with journalism experience, retired journalists, and student journalists in high school and college to volunteer as writers for Supervisor Engardio’s newsletter. Interested? Apply here. Do you know a story you would like to see featured in the newsletter? Tell us about it here.