Adriana Ruano: From Olympic volunteer to Guatemala’s Olympic history maker
The Olympic Games Paris 2024, was a Games of historic firsts for many National Olympic Committees (NOCs) from first-time Olympic medals, to first time Olympic gold medals and sport-specific records.
Guatemala was one of the NOCs that will never forget the Games in Paris. Adrian Ruano made history as she won gold in the women’s trap to secure the country’s first ever Olympic gold medal.
“It was an incredible moment, and at the same time overwhelming,” Ruano said speaking to ANOC on her historic performance. “It’s something you have fought and worked for many years, and at that moment you don’t know if it’s real or a dream. I was standing, listening to the screams and the applause, and a mixture of feelings came over me: pride, gratitude, and I could only thank God for giving me this achievement.
“I thought of all the effort, sacrifice and dedication of my family, who have accompanied me throughout these years. My mind was filled with so many thoughts, because I wanted to cry, I wanted to run and hug my family. I knew that winning gold in Paris is not only a dream come true for me, but also a great honour for Guatemala, and to see the flag and hear the anthem, I got goose bumps and my heart was pounding, it was to see the biggest dream of an athlete come true.”
But Ruano was not always destined for the Olympic podium. Just eight years earlier, at Rio 2016, Adriana Ruano was one of the thousands of volunteers who make the Olympic Games such a success.
She had hoped to be able to become an Olympic gymnast, but a spinal injury ended that dream and so she decided if she couldn’t compete at the Games she would volunteer instead. As fate would have it, she was assigned as a volunteer for shooting.
“Those days, I watched the athletes with admiration and dreamed of being in the same position,” Ruano says. 
“I told myself, one day, I know I can do it. I saw firsthand the dedication and passion it takes to make it to the Olympics and that inspired me to work even harder. At times I thought it would not be possible, but it was a dream I would not give up and I decided to keep working towards the goal, and that dream motivated me to keep going and make it a reality. My experience as a volunteer taught me a lot about the Olympic spirit and gave me the strength to fight for my own goals.”
Inspired by what she had seen she set about achieving her dream and the dream for her country.
“It has been a reception full of many emotions, and personally, I feel very happy and grateful to the people. Seeing the number of people who have joined us to live this achievement has filled me with emotion, living and sharing this dream. Everyone has celebrated with great joy and enthusiasm. They have turned this moment into a real party, and made us feel special and loved. I hope this medal will inspire other young people to follow their dreams and work hard to achieve them.”
