“I touched the wall, saw my time, and was already blown away. Then I saw the 16 next to my name and thought—holy, it’s happening.”
Julimar Ávila
For Julimar Ávila, swimming was never just about the clock—it was about proving to herself and the world what was possible. Representing Honduras, she became the first swimmer from her country to make an Olympic semifinal. But her path was anything but linear. From training at a YMCA as a child to competing at the highest level, she faced cultural duality, self-doubt, and moments where she questioned if she belonged.
In this episode, Julimar takes us inside her Olympic experiences in Tokyo and Paris, where she battled the unexpected—quarantine isolation before her race, the pressure of making history, and the imposter syndrome that followed. “I started to doubt my own skills, wondering if making the semifinals was a fluke,” she admits.
But she found a way forward. Through journaling, self-reflection, and a rock-solid support system, Julimar reclaimed her confidence and learned to separate expectations from joy. Now, in a new phase of her life, she’s stepping out of the pool, embracing new challenges—including training for a half marathon and pushing herself outside her comfort zone.
Her message? Trust yourself, embrace the journey, and find your flow.
