Since she was little she has been hyperactive and sport has always been her faithful companion, thanks to the support of her parents.
Baseball was her first test, then she ventured into softball, where she has obtained important results, including a bronze medal in the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 2010.
Her life would take a turn that would lead her to excel in a new sport. In 2014, when she was studying in the United States, she joined the shooting team.
When returning to Guatemala decided to fully dedicate itself to shooting with hunting weapons and softball took a backseat, although she still plays it and continues to win titles with her team, the Bombarderas.
From the moment he joined the team, Soto found a new lifestyle, one that forced her to set goals and strive for excellence. Among them was classifying some Olympic Games.
Passion
“I like softball, I still play and enjoy it, but I fell in love with throwing, which changed my life a lot, helped me find myself and set challenges for myself. Some have been achieved and others not, but that is the beauty and challenge of this sport. Each competition is a life lesson,” says Soto.
Waleska He recognizes that he takes both the victories and the difficulties that may arise as a learning experience and thus becomes stronger, as it helps him believe in his abilities.
“Not everything is joy in this sport, but you have to know how to enjoy when you win and assimilate when you don’t.. These are lessons to be learned in both scenarios,” he notes.
These lessons have led her to become one of the leading figures in this sport in the trap modality, and in 2020 she achieved her dream of being an Olympic athlete, after her participation in the edition that took place in Tokyo, Japan.
The experience she had at her first Olympics was unique, but that did not make her settle down. On the contrary, she set her sights on returning to an Olympic event and, through hard work, made it a reality. At the Championship of the Americas in the Dominican Republic, she won the gold medal and with it, qualified for her second Olympics.
“These second Olympic Games mean a lot to me. It has been a journey with many challenges that we have overcome. Tokyo was a beautiful experience that left me with a great learning experience. Now in Paris is a new challenge, which excites me a lot in order to try to transcend. I will give my best and I will try to be in the fight for the medals. I hope to return to Guatemala with a medal. I feel physically, mentally and technically prepared,” she said.
Soto will accompany badminton player Kevin Cordón as the delegation’s standard-bearer.I am excited about this privilege. I know it is a responsibility to lead the delegation alongside Kevin, but I will represent them in the best way possible,” he concluded.
Profile
Waleska Soto’s tour.
- The shooter was born on August 14, 1990.
- Passionate about sports since she was 4 years old, she first ventured into baseball and softball.
- Her first Olympic Games were in Tokyo 2020, where she finished in 23rd place.
- In 2022 she won gold at the Bolivarian Games in Valledupar, Colombia.
- She won silver at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean and Pan American Games.
- On March 17, 2024, she won gold and an Olympic ticket at the Championship of the Americas in the Dominican Republic.
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