Sofía Garcés, Unión’s swimming gem taking on the world | OneFootball

In the lead-up to the match between Unión and Riestra, the club had the pleasure of welcoming one of its brightest prospects: Sofía Garcés. The 18-year-old swimmer, originally from Concepción del Uruguay but now based in Santa Fe to represent the “Tatengue”, shared details of her meteoric rise after being crowned South American Junior Champion in Rio de Janeiro.

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From Entre Ríos to Unión’s Olympic pool

Sofía started swimming at the age of three for safety and health reasons, but her talent quickly led her into competition. At 15, she made the decision to move to Santa Fe on her own to join Unión’s competitive team: “I moved here to train in the Olympic pool and with the club’s team,” the athlete recalled, highlighting her family’s support throughout this journey toward professionalism.

World-stage present and a future in open water

Under the guidance of Diego Garbarino, Garcés has begun to make her mark on the international circuit. She recently competed in Egypt, in the first stage of the World Cup, where she earned a commendable fourth-place finish in the Junior category.

“She already competes against senior swimmers at the local level and has a real chance of representing Argentina in upcoming international events,” Garbarino said, stressing that although Sofía still stands out in long-distance pool events (400, 800, and 1500 meters), this year the absolute priority will be open water.

Elite discipline and the search for sponsors

The road to success demands extreme sacrifice. Sofía detailed her daily routine, which begins at 5:45 in the morning:

Despite her achievements, the swimmer emphasized the need for financial support to sustain her calendar in Europe, which includes stops in Spain and Italy. “I’m still looking for sponsors and support from companies willing to back me so I can keep fighting for the junior ranking in the World Cup,” she said, also thanking the club for the support it has provided.

The dream of the Santa Fe–Coronda

Although she is currently focused on the Olympic distance (10 km), Sofía does not hide her admiration for long-distance open-water marathons. After attending the latest edition of the Santa Fe–Coronda, she admitted her wish for the future: “I’d like to swim it because it’s a beautiful and iconic race, but not yet; it requires preparation for more than eight hours of swimming.”

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