Andrea Vargas Looks to Hurdle Climate Challenges as EcoAthletes Champion
From the time Andrea Vargas was a young girl in Puriscal, Costa Rica, two things were clear to her: She wanted to become a professional track star and she loved the environment. She achieved her number one goal, becoming a world class 100 meter hurdler, winning gold at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.
“When I was a kid, I just enjoyed the training and the competitions, and the results were very good,” Vargas recalled. “Growing up, I always watched the Olympics, and thought, ‘I want to be there someday!’ Representing my country at an elite level is an honor and I feel so proud to have been able to do so.”
EcoAthletes’ newest Champion is excited to use her platform to lead climate action in Costa Rica, a country with abundant natural resources that are under threat from effects of climate change.
“On a micro-level, my family always tried to limit the waste produced and the energy used in our home,” noted Vargas. “Looking at things through a wider lens, we were taught in school that it was our responsibility to protect Costa Rica’s natural wealth: massive amounts of flora and fauna, our spectacular national parks, forests and conservation areas.”
Andrea Vargas is ready to hurdle obstacles to speaking out on climate change as an EcoAthletes Champion
Andrea Vargas explodes at the start of a 100 meter hurdle training session (Photo credit: David Jiménez)
The current and future impacts of climate change on Costa Rica have made Vargas, who was trained as a lawyer in her home country, determined to use her platform to make a difference.
“That climate change is real, and human caused is not in question,” Vargas acknowledged. “Sea level rise, increases in tropical diseases, climate refugees, and damaging storms, are but a few examples of how the climate crisis impacts Costa Rica and many other places.”
Vargas believes every crisis is also an opportunity. She decided to become an EcoAthletes Champion to help spark a #ClimateComeback.
“Joining the EcoAthletes Champions roster will help me inspire other people to take action on how to reduce pollution and take other climate actions,” the Tokyo 2020 Olympian shared. “I am excited to work with fellow Champions to help us to have a healthier, safer place to live for future generations.”
Lew Blaustein, EcoAthletes’ founder and CEO, sees tremendous potential in Vargas as a Champion.
“Costa Rica is a global environmental treasure, and that treasure is in danger due to climate change,” said Blaustein. “Andrea Vargas has tremendous stature as a voice for climate action and EcoAthletes believes that she can make an important mark as a Champion, in her country and beyond.”
You can follow Andrea on Instagram