Malena Santillán took South American Games gold, moved by Unión youth | OneFootball

A sense of belonging and love for the team colors are often best explained through the eyes of the youngest ones. That was made clear by Malena Santillán, a swimmer for Unión, who won gold in the women’s 200-meter backstroke during the fourth day of the 2026 South American Games in Santa Fe and could not hold back her tears when speaking about the warm and unexpected support she received from the club’s youth divisions, who filled the stands with umbrellas and jerseys to cheer her on.

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When asked whether she had expected such a display in the stands, the athlete from Santa Fe admitted with complete honesty: “No, I didn’t know. I mean, I found out a few days ago when they told me that all the younger club divisions who train there were coming.”

The surprise quickly turned into deep motivation just minutes before she went out to compete. “I was already warming up, and they were already waving the flags. They were even more excited than I was, so for me, it’s an enormous joy that they could come,” Malena said, visibly moved.

Speaking from the heart and apologizing for being so emotional in the moment, the red-and-white swimmer explained the real reason for her tears, reflecting the role model status she now holds for the club’s young talents: “It really moves me that all of them can come watch, or that I know some of them look up to me because they see me every day at the club.”

Finally, she ended her remarks by making it clear that the daily effort in the pool takes on a completely different meaning thanks to the club’s support: “For me, it’s a source of pride to be able to train at Unión and to have built such a big family.”

The swimmer’s words reflect a reality that goes beyond sports itself: at Tatengue, amateur disciplines are lived with an unbreakable passion that brings together accomplished athletes and the children who are just taking their first steps.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.