May 30, 2024

This interview was translated from the Spanish.

EcoAthletes: Where did you grow up?

Paola Perez: San Cristobal, Venezuela

EcoAthletes: When and why did you start swimming in general and long-distance swimming in particular?

Paola: I started swimming because my mother was a national artistic swimming team member, and it was an organic part of our family to learn to swim. I started in open water in 2011 with a new coach who came to my city and wanted to train a woman in long distances.


EcoAthletes? Do you prefer to swim 10K in open water or in a pool... and why?

Paola: Aha, this is a difficult question! Truth is, I like both as each one has its own complexity, but let's say that in open water I achieved all my sporting dreams that I had as a child. On the other hand, in the pool I have been discovering new things that are creating new challenges for me and that too is great!

EcoAthletes: What do you like about open water swimming and what makes you good at it?

Paola: I like to stand out by doing super difficult things. This sport is very challenging, from the training to the competitions. It is so hard that not too many people dare to even try it. So, I thought, ‘this is for me’.

EcoAthletes: Is open water swimming popular in Venezuela? If not, how were you able to develop in sports?

Paola: To be honest, when I started practicing it was not very popular at all. The sport was in its infancy in Venezuela at the time. But I had a lot of natural talent and the will to work hard all the time. I got better and better and then, in 2015 when I won my first medal in the Pan American Games in Canada, I understood that my dream of being in the Olympic Games was not that far away. So, I worked even harder and smarter and was able to turn the dream into reality.

EcoAthletes: What was it like qualifying and then swimming at the 2016 Rio Olympics? How did you do it?

Paola: Qualifying began by trying to achieve it, knowing that I had to train and prepare in an extraordinary way which fascinated me, then when qualifying the preparation was somewhat lonely since I was the only one from my country in that discipline in the women's branch but I was excited a lot to do it since it was something I had long dreamed of. When I finally qualified and got to Rio, it was amazing but I also felt that I belonged.

EcoAthletes: What happened after that in your career? What challenges did you face in qualifying for Tokyo 2020?

Paola: When I arrived from Rio 2016 in Venezuela there were no longer swimming pools where I could continue training…

EcoAthletes: Why was that the case?

Paola: Sadly, the economic and political crisis that Venezuela was going through at that time, there were no chemicals to maintain the quality of the pool water and they were closed, little by little until none were open. 

So, I made the decision to move to Chile. Like any new beginning, Chilean life was full of things I didn't know, and it was difficult to adapt. It got very bad; I ended up suffering from depression with suicidal thoughts coming to my brain. I cried every morning before going to train. The stress was immense due to the economic issues and my new lifestyle where I had to deal with expenses and think about how to pay to live and survive apart from training so I could do my best to qualify for Tokyo. It was harder than Rio, because I did not have the support of Venezuela’s Ministry of Sports due to the financial difficulties we were experiencing, but in the end, despite the resource limitations and my struggles in Chile, I persevered and made it!

EcoAthletes: That’s fantastic, Paola! What an inspirational story. How is your training going ahead of qualifying for Paris 2024?

Paola: I didn't qualify for Paris 2024, sadly. Now I have so many thoughts about what I want to do going forward. Clearly, retiring runs through my head every day since I would like a break but I still might have one more Olympic run left in me.

But for now, I will stay in my job as a coach which makes it easier for me to be in the pool and arrive before work to train. I am also taking courses and training to be a higher-level swimming coach so I can help Venezuela to continue producing great swimmers.  

EcoAthletes: Regarding climate change, what led you to become interested in it? When was that?

Paola: When competing in the sea I get a lot of information from it, including about the environment. I see how many people and especially animals suffer from the way in which we have destroyed the marine environment. But I know that there are ways in which we can help the the health of the sea improve, and I like to contribute to that change.

EcoAthletes As an open water swimmer, what have you noticed about global warming and its impacts on your sport?

Paola: I have seen rivers and dams where we used to compete dry up, also how marine fauna and flora have suffered from climate change. Sometimes authorities have had to suspend events for which one prepares with great effort, due to the poor state of the water and the risks to our health.

EcoAthletes: What is it like talking about climate change with the media and with your fans?

Paola: Unfortunately, little is said about climate change in sport, at least in my experience.

EcoAthletes: Why do you think that is the case?

Paola: Although climate change is a global issue and should concern us all, as an athlete you are so involved in training, in practice, and performing, that it is sometimes difficult to look to outside issues or problems. That said the truth is, on important issues like climate change, we can do two things at once: Promoting the environment while we work to be the best we can in our sport. That is why I really liked the idea of the Aqua Master Eco Swim that was held in Venezuela this May 4. It educated people about the importance of caring for the seas, recycling plastic, and reducing our carbon footprints. The idea of the intersection of sports and the environment is new here; that’s why this event is important, and I believe there will more of them. 

EcoAthletes: What attracts you to EcoAthletes and becoming an EcoAthletes Champion? 

Paola: I really like that EcoAthletes helps so many athletes from around the world and from so many sports are becoming aware of the damage our planet suffers due to human activities. They show that athletes and sport organizations have the power to help the environment and to communicate that message to fans to motivate them to change the climate and the environment for the better.

I am honored to be the first Champion from Venezuela, a country that has suffered impacts from climate change. I know I won’t be the last.

EcoAthletes: What would success look like for you as an EcoAthletes Champion?

Paola: For me, success would be being recognized for leading positive environmental impact with my fellow EcoAthletes Champions and thus motivating others to join the team. Also being a Champion will make me push myself further in the most important competition there is – the #ClimateComeback.

You can follow Paola on Instagram