Growing up, we used to jump in the pool every time we went to her house and swim laps until we were exhausted. My mom told me stories of how Blanca would wake up every morning and swim one hundred laps before taking her to school. My favorite story about my bisabuela was her journey to the Pan-American Games. She competed in the long-distance swimming competition for the El Salvador team. Blanca always enjoyed talking about the Pan-American games because it made her first time away from home feel like history and something that she could pass on for posterity to come after.
My great-grandma (bisabuela in Spanish), Zolia Blanca Rosa, always loved to swim. Born in 1927 in a small town called Usulután in El Salvador, my bisabuela was the youngest of eight siblings, none of which had any interest in swimming. My bisabuela had a very independent and competitive spirit and would do everything she could to swim. Although it was uncommon for females to be involved in sports, my bisabuela trained in the ocean with her team before and after school, with red-cross boats protecting them from the sharks. She eventually had the opportunity to compete in the Pan-American Games. By the time she came to the United States, her life as a swimmer had become stories she was most fond of, and memories she continued to share until the day she passed.
The Pan-American (Panam for short) Games are friendly games that are only for countries in North, South, and Central America. The International Olympic Committee started these games to create more friendly competition between the Americas. The Panam Games are held every four years in a new location, chosen through the committee’s long voting and presentation process. Panamsports.org said, "since 1951, these Games have united the countries of the Americas and many of the best athletes the world has ever seen” (Panamsports.org). Since starting the games 70 years ago, the Panam Games have helped the American Olympic movement grow more among the American culture (Panamsports.org). Though the Panam sports do not get as much attention and recognition as the Summer Olympics, the Pan-American Organization continues to look for ways to advertise this sporting event better to attract more fans and audiences (Reuters.com). These games hold a variety of sports, from Track and Field to swimming and gymnastics. Since these games were established, it has helped the American Culture grow and connect American countries.
The Panam Games began in 1951, and many successes, failures, and changes have helped develop the games into the great Panam Games of today. The biggest changes have been the number of audiences and competitors as well as the location of the games. Held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the first games started off small, with only 21 countries and 2,513 athletes competing. As time went on, the number of competitors and countries involved increased. Unfortunately, the only time the number of competitors dropped significantly was in 1963, when it fell from 2,263 athletes to only 1,665 (Panamsports.org). Since then, the number of athletes and attendees has only increased and continues to do so today.
With the games’ location changing every four years, the Panam games have been in many places in the Americas. Many countries, which include the United States, Mexico, and Brazil, have had the opportunity to hold the games multiple times. The first city to ever host the Panam Games twice was completed in 1975, when Mexico City, Mexico, had the opportunity to host (Panamsports.org). Seeing countries begin to gather excitement to host the games shows the country's spirit in the games. Pride springs among the home audience when competitors from their home countries do well and win medals (Reuters.com). These big changes in the Panam Games helped unite the Americas into a tighter bond because they all had to adjust together and learn from the new developments each time.
Visual Pie chart made by me using canva
Many things go into preparing for the Pan-American games. First, a country must be chosen by a committee through a presentation and voting process. Once the location has been selected, they must budget and begin planning for the games. These countries are hosting both the Panam Games and the Paraolymipc American Games, which bring lots of tourists but also cost a lot of time and money. When the Parapan and Pan-American Games were held in Toronto, Canada, the country had prepared for the likelihood of thousands of people, around 1.4 million people watching, 283 km of traffic lanes being taken away, with a budget of $2.5 billion (go.gale.com). Some countries have been chosen to host these games but had to withdraw due to political and financial issues. In addition, countries must have everything under control with minimal difficulties. Keating of Reuter.com explained that the 2023 Santiago games had many problems, which consisted of constant construction on some of the venues and the small audience compared to other sporting events (Keating). Many grounds must be renovated to host sports like rugby, gymnastics, and other festivities (go.gale.com). Though hosting the games is a very big responsibility that the country and citizens must take, it is also fun because they show their pride to their country and people all around the Americas.
The many successes and mistakes the Santiago games produced will help make the 2027 Lima games better. Santiago had already previously been granted twice to host the games but had to unfortunately drop out due to political and financial issues going on at that time (Reuters.com). The 2023 Santiago games started rough, with some mistakes like the women’s 20-kilometer racewalk being shorter than it should be, which shook many critiques and judgments. To learn from the mistakes, Keaton of Reuters.com emphasized that “[t]hese are the type of problems that hit almost every multi-sport Games and quickly dealt with, but the issues confronting the Pan Am Sports Organisation (PSO) cannot be so easily solved” (Reuters.com). Using these mistakes will help the next host country learn and not repeat the mistakes again.
Earlier this year, the committee voted Lima, Peru, as the next Pan-American Games location. The location was chosen after two months of long presentations and voting. Since this will be Lima’s second time hosting, it makes the entire setting up process more efficient because the country already has experience preparing for the games (Panamsports, org). Barranquilla Mayor Jaime Pumarejo to El Heraldo reflected and said that "[they] are learning from the successes and mistakes that occurred in Santiago" (Reuters.com). Each country gets to learn and adapt from others’ mistakes, showing the community's growth since the games started. Through good and bad, the Americas have become closer and more connected through their faults and successes.
The Pan-American Games have not only brought countries together but have also inspired many children around the world to keep going for their dreams. Many athletes like Alyson Felix and Michael Jordan have competed in the Panam games, encouraging many to want to do the same (Panamsports.org). Seeing athletes on the big screen makes many worldwide want to achieve their dreams. Learning more about these games through my bisabuela and my family has helped me appreciate the love of these games more. These games have helped bring many countries together through their love for sports and their countries. Renzo Manyari, the President of the Peruvian Olympic committee, said that “together we win” (Panamsports.org), showing that the Americas have united and will continue to support one another through all they endure.
Works Cited
Wikipedia, https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=SUIC&u=conc65038&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA394515244&retrievalId=cdc721f8-8446-4efd-aaba-f18d342bc996&inPS=true&linkSource=interlink&sid=bookmark-SUIC. Accessed 27 May 2024.
Keating, Steve. “Games-Pan Am Games come to predictable end but face uncertain future.” Reuters, 5 November 2023, https://www.reuters.com/sports/review-games-pan-am-games-come-predictable-end-face-uncertain-future-2023-11-06/. Accessed 27 May 2024.
“LIMA WILL HOST THE 2027 PAN AMERICAN GAMES.” Panam Sports, 12 March 2024, https://www.panamsports.org/en/news-sport/lima-sera-la-sede-de-los-juegos-panamericanos-2027/. Accessed 27 May 2024.
“Panam Sports History.” Panam Sports, https://www.panamsports.org/en/about-panamsports/history/. Accessed 27 May 2024.