19/08/2026
๐ฃ๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐ต๐๐๐๐น๐ฒ ๐ง๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐ธ
๐๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐๐
๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ซ, ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ๐ง ๐
๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ช๐จ
๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฌ
My childhood was beautiful and happy. I grew up surrounded by my family (my mom, my grandmother, my uncles and cousins and I spent a lot of time playing with friends from the neighborhood. Play was always a fundamental part of my life.
I was a good student and enjoyed learning, but I was also fortunate to live a very active childhood, full of traditional games and outdoor activities. We played everything: football, burns and many popular games that I remember with affection today. My mom worked a lot, so after school, play was the space where I could share, have fun and also discover who I was.
Today I understand that those experiences greatly influenced who I am and what I do. That is why I love my profession and see sport, especially badminton, as a powerful tool for the integral development of people, for wellbeing, respect, fair play and healthy competition.
๐
๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐
I learned about badminton towards the end of 2018 and early 2019 during a sports expo held on the Malecรณn del Salado, in Guayaquil, organised by the Ecuadorian Olympic Committee. I was participating as a volunteer in the Sports for All Commission and I was invited to attend this event where different sports were presented. My friend Carlos Jรกcome introduced me to Emilio Zambrano, who was working in the dissemination of badminton through the Shuttle Time programme. Thanks to that meeting I was able to get to know the sport more closely and it awakened in me a great curiosity to learn. From there I began to train in badminton, taking courses such as Shuttle Time, coaching courses and also referee courses.
That process allowed me to participate in 2019 as a national referee in the South American Badminton Championships held in Guayaquil. Since then I have continued to be linked to this sport, working enthusiastically in its dissemination and development.
๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ๐ง
Since I learned about badminton, my relationship with this sport has been constant and very enriching. Little by little I learned more, training and training, not only through courses, but also in a self-taught way.
I participated in initiatives such as the โI am Olympicโ programme of the Ecuadorian Olympic Academy, where we visited schools and colleges to bring students closer to different sports disciplines. As a Physical Education teacher I have always tried to include badminton in my classes. I remember with great affection an institution where I was able to present it for the first time in a formal way. At the beginning there was some resistance because many students were more used to football, but when they started playing the change was incredible and badminton ended up being part of the schoolโs sports culture.
Later, when I joined as a teacher in higher education in the Sports Training career, I also had the opportunity to use badminton within the training of students, both as a pedagogical tool and from a recreational approach. In addition, I have always sought to share this sport with my community. I have organised free spaces for children and young people to get to know it and practice it, and I am also part of the ยจDon Qยจ training club, where we teach badminton for free.
๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ
One of the most special has been being able to share this sport with my family. They all started practicing it: my children, my husband, my mom and even some nephews. Over time this experience became even more meaningful because my mom and husband also took courses to coach and referee in badminton. Both are physical education teachers.
My children participated in the South American Badminton Championships representing the Ecuadorian Federation. Living that experience and representing their country was very meaningful for us. Another special memory was participating as a national referee in the South American Badminton Championships held in Guayaquil in 2019.
I also have very valuable memories of projects where I have been able to teach badminton to children and young people, such as the Seeds: Sowing Badminton, promoted by the Ecuadorian Olympic Committee and the DASE Foundation of the Municipality of Guayaquil. The interest in badminton continues in my family, as my two daughters will participate in the next course of badminton coaches of the Ecuadorian Federation. Badminton has had a very positive impact on my life and that of many people close to me.
๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ
It has been a very enriching experience and also full of challenges. I have had the opportunity to spread this sport in schools, community projects and training spaces. One of these spaces is the Don Q training club. This club has a very strong tradition in handball, so introducing badminton was a challenge. However, over time several young people began to be interested in this sport and today there is a group that enjoys practicing it and learning more. My desire is to continue developing it so that more young people can get to know it and in the future also participate in tournaments.
Over time more and more students, teachers and coaches have become interested in knowing and learning about it. I also want to recognise the work of our Shuttle Time coordinator in Ecuador, Emilio Zambrano, the Presidents of the National Federation John Zambrano Haboud, Thomas Pellehn Drey, Eng. Carlo Salinas as Vice President, who have been key in the dissemination of this sport and in supporting those of us who want to develop it in our communities.
๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐
I think badminton has had a positive impact in my region. When we began to disseminate it, many people did not know about it, but over time more and more students, teachers and coaches have become interested in knowing and learning about it. I also want to recognize the work of our Shuttle Time coordinator in Ecuador, Emilio Zambrano, the Presidents of the National Federation John Zambrano Haboud, Thomas Pellehn Drey, Eng. Carlo Salinas as Vice President, who have been key in the dissemination of this sport and in supporting those of us who want to develop it in our communities.
Seeing more and more people know about badminton and are enthusiastic about it is something that fills me with satisfaction.
๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐
๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐
One of the most important is that when a person has a clear purpose and truly believes in what they do, they always find the way to achieve it. This sport has also helped me to strengthen my character and to understand how passion and conviction can inspire others. For me, badminton has been a great school of life. Badminton for me is not just a sport: it is a tool to sow well-being, form better people and show that through fair play you can also build a more harmonious society.
BWF โ Badminton World Federation Badminton Pan Am
