Raised in Paraguay, Camila Pirelli became a champion figure skater and swimmer by the time she was a teenager, but track and field would bring her true success. Camila won her first gold medal in the pentathlon at the South American Youth Championships in 2006, and since then has gone on to achieve several Paraguayan records in track and field. She won gold at the Bolivarian Games and South American Games, and qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in the 100m hurdles.  

“On the track, there are moments when your body or mind want you to stop and you have to fight against it,” Camila says. “I always compare life to a hurdle race. When you get past one challenge, you are happy, but you have another one right in front of you. Sport teaches you to fight and embrace the journey ahead.” 

In Paraguay, Camila recognizes that the culture of machismo puts women in the face of violence and discrimination. While prominent women have risen in the ranks of politics, women in the country still face gender stereotypes. Camila refuses to accept limitations for herself and feels a passion for sharing this message with girls throughout Paraguay.