CUASPUD Marcela

General
EARLY DAYS
She took up athletics at school and her brothers, who were swimmers, got her into swimming also when she was a child. "Then, at university [where she entered at age 16] there was a riding arena and I was interested in learning to ride. One day the Ecuadorian modern pentathlon federation organised a challenge and I was encouraged to participate. I did it very well, and changed to modern pentathlon. Although that meant I had to learn shooting and fencing, which requires heart and courage." However, her first year in the sport [2015] did not go as expected and she thought of giving up. "It was a hard sport and the first year I ended up in the last places at competitions. I decided to travel to France to continue my studies and live with my brother. He was the one who encouraged me to continue. I went to a modern pentathlon club there and trained. When I returned to Ecuador they informed me that I was going to enter the national team and from then on I am really proud to represent Ecuador." (Secretaria del Deporte Ecuador Facebook page, 07 Nov 2019; elcomercio.com, 29 Jul 2019; deporte.gob.ec, 15 Sep 2018)

OLYMPIC AMBITION
She plans on studying a master's degree in international relations after the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, with the ambition of working for the International Olympic Committee [IOC]. "The Olympic Games require full dedication, but then I will resume my studies. I would like to be part of the IOC, because I love the spirit that surrounds the Games." (elcomercio.com, 29 Jul 2019)