Anyone who knows me knows I’m not really the biggest sports fan. A basketball game here and there and a few boxing matches is really as far as I go in sports -- but tell me someone from Puerto Rico is competing and I immediately become the number one fan.
This rings incredibly true during the Olympics this year, especially on August 13th when Monica Puig brought home our very first gold medal (PUIGÑETA!). I’ll admit I’d never seen a tennis match before so I was pretty lost when I first started watching, but I was rooting for her all along. Monica became our Golden Girl overnight, but she’s not our only champion.
While she has been the only gold medalist, I think winning silver, bronze, getting to the finals and even getting to the Olympics is already a huge victory and makes all our athletes champions in our hearts. I only followed a few of our athletes, but I need to recognize all of those who participated because they got really far and deserve their props.
Javier Culson, Monica Puig, Jaime Espinal, Grace Claxton, Adriana Diaz, Eric Alejandro, Diamara Planell, Franklin Gomez, Vilmarie Mojica, Beverly Ramos, Jeyvier Cintron, Crystal Weekes, Karina Ocasio, Celiageli Morales, Manuel Huerta, Melissa Mojica, Aurea Cruz, Deborah Seilhamer, Alexandra Oquendo, Yarimar Rosa, Wesley Vazquez, Natalia Valentin, Rafael Quintero, Stephanie Enright, Vanessa Garcia, Alysbeth Felix, Luis Joel Castro, Andres Arroyo, Lely Berlitt Burgos Ortiz, Shara Venegas, Daly Santana, Lynda Morales, Diana Reyes, Brian Afanador, Lauren Bilys, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Erik Risovalto, Maria Perez, Brian Babilonia, David Smith and Yarimar Mercado Martinez – Thank you for representing us and making Puerto Rico shine!
Monica Puig: what can I say that hasn’t been stated a million times already since August 13th? You are a hero, a champion, the star that shines on our flag! You’ve united us and shown us that there is no such thing as impossible. You, #34 worldwide, beat the second best tennis player in the world! You worked hard and it showed. Thank you for choosing to represent your island, for making us proud and for staying humble even in your amazing victory. You are a role model for perseverance and hard work, and have taught us all how far we can really get – no matter how small we are in size, we’re big in heart...just like you!
Javier Culson: Unfortunately you were disqualified, but let it be known that it was only your desire to make us proud that led to your false start. You wanted to go home afterwards; you felt like you’d failed your family and all of us, but you are our star! For years you have made us proud with all your victories worldwide and you are still our champion. What happened on August 18th is not a reflection of you or your hard work. You made it to the Olympics, you’ve won bronze and silver, you raced your heart out and you’ve won our hearts. You’ve made Puerto Rico shine like no other. Medal or no medal you are our champion, our hero, our gold! You gave your best and you showed the world how much heart and hunger for victory Puerto Rico has.
Luis Joel Castro: You made it into the Men’s High Jump finals -- what?! That is beyond amazing! I watched your performance alongside my sister who went to school with you, and we were filled with pride. Every round you passed filled our house with shouts of joy and pride. When Punto Dos would change the event right when you were about to compete we’d switch to a livestream on Facebook to watch you jump. You united this Nation too. You’ve made us all proud and shown the true product Puerto Rico can breed. I rooted for you as if I knew you myself and still felt overjoyed with your participation because you worked hard and got far, and to me that’s a victory.
Eric Alejandro: Semifinals is a huge win! You went out there and gave it your all. You had us all rooting for you, glued to our TV sets cheering you on. Not everyone can say they made it to the Olympics, and not everyone can say they made it to the semifinals. Your hard work payed off and did not go unnoticed by your country ,which rooted for you and still sees you as a champion. You gave it your all and made our star shine. Win or lose, we’ll always be proud of you!
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn: Girl, third place in Women’s 100m hurdles and making it to the semifinals is a victory for us! You cried after being disqualified, you asked for our forgiveness because, like Culson, you felt you’d let us down. Honey you are a star, a champion! We were all rooting for you and are beyond proud of your accomplishments. You, along with every other athlete on this list, are a hero, a role model and a victor! You made us shine and gave your all. Your hard work does not go unnoticed nor is it measured by a medal. It is measured by your goals and the mark you’ve left in the hearts of the country you filled with pride. You're still so young and have so many chances to make it even farther and we'll always be supporting you and filled with pride.
Grace Claxton: To do what each and every one of you does is a talent that can only be honed by working hard and making it to the semifinals, and coming in 5th is still a huge win. You, like all the other athletes on this list with you, went up against the best in the world and you were a rock star! Looking at the ranks it’s quite easy to tell that you are more than worthy of a medal. Thank you for giving your all and representing us to the best of your abilities. You are an example for us all and keep pushing through because you’ve got what it takes and you are our Olympic star.
All of you are winners! You’ve done something only very few can actually do. You’ve gone above and beyond, and your hard work has led you to become our winners. Your worth, your abilities, and your star power is not defined by a medal but by the impact your participation leaves in our hearts. It’s measured by all the kids who feel inspired to train hard and reach the same goals and ranks as you. Thank you all for making Puerto Rico shine!
