Marathon runner Julia Paternain
Several historic firsts were achieved at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, including the first ever World Championships medals for Samoa, St Lucia and Uruguay, and a first ever World Championships gold for Tanzania.
This letter series continues with a message from world marathon bronze medallist Julia Paternain to her nation, Uruguay.
In September, I crossed the finish line of the women’s marathon in Tokyo, and with that, became the first athlete from Uruguay to win a medal on the World Championships stage.
First and foremost: thank you! To everyone who reached out, cheered for me, and supported me throughout this journey – you have no idea how much it means. Representing Uruguay and wearing ‘La Celeste’ on the world stage will forever be one of my greatest honours. Since I was little, my family taught me to love Uruguay – our people, our culture, our values. Getting to share that with the world has been a joy.
One of the most special parts of this whole experience has been hearing from people who have said that my race inspired them to lace up their shoes and get out the door to run. Knowing that this race could make an impact beyond the stadium is so fulfilling and something truly special.
Now, let me explain those last few hundred metres. Anyone who has run with me knows I’m usually in la-la land when I run. I’ve got lost more times than I can count, I’m awful with directions, and in that moment I didn’t even want to think about how much farther I had to go because, honestly, I was in a world of pain. Those last few miles of a marathon are what make the marathon so special, but oh my do they suck sometimes!
So, when I hit that final stretch, I wasn’t even sure it was the finish – I was just hoping. Then, I crossed the line, a cameraman told me I was in third, and I was in absolute disbelief. I wasn’t an All-American in college. I only made NCAA Outdoors once and came dead last. My path through college didn’t point to this moment. I was one of the very last athletes to qualify for this race. And somehow, I walked away with a bronze medal. It still feels pretty surreal.
All this is to say, process over outcome – always. I’m not one for wishy washy quotes, but one thing I do believe in is just trying. You don’t always have to have some huge goal on the other side, but just start. When I was out there, I wasn’t thinking about anyone else, I was just running. I was doing what I could do, and as long as I knew I had given my best, I knew I could walk away from the race with my head held high.
To all the little girls watching out there, I hope it shows that resilience and hard work can go a long, long way. Who knows what lies on the other side of that path, but the only way you will know is to try!
As for what comes next, for now, I’ll be celebrating with my family and friends. It’s not every day that you win a global medal, so I think it’s important to be in the present. After that, I’ll prepare for another marathon and do everything in my power to be able to continue representing Uruguay on the global stage.
Un fuerte abrazo.
Arigatō y Uruguay Nomá!
Julia
