AUDIENCE APPLAUDS ALEXIA SOTOMAYOR AT THE VIDENA AQUATIC CENTER

Her child’s smile, with dreams of greatness, gave her away. The cameras at the VIDENA Aquatic Center focused on her face, when she was about to start her first individual competition at the Pan American Games. Also, fans from the grandstands cheered the youngest athlete at Lima 2019 on, in an amazing way.

What Alexia Sotomayor has achieved is truly notable. At only 13 years of age, she has qualified to the B final in her first official event. It will be an unforgettable memory for her. After a day of competition, she broke the children’s record in the 100 m backstroke. The Peruvian breathed deeply and begins to build her own dreams.

At the end of the event, the Peruvian talent in swimming was under the spotlight of international media, such as Globo from Brazil. She told them her feeling of participating at home and especially, highlighted the Peruvian people’s affection, who stood up to give her a round of applause.

 “I feel proud to have represented Peru, and to have participated at home, is a dream come true. The support all the swimmers received has been incredible and that encourages me to keep going. Competing against top-level swimmers in my first official event, is the beginning of going even further. I’ll achieve my goals little by little,” she said.

Alexia had participated in the 4x100 free relay event in which Peru placed fifth. In addition, she will participate in the 50m freestyle and in the 4x100 medley relay events. The Pan American Games is also the beginning of a story full of successes and dreams to fulfill.