GLADYMAR TORRES FAIR PLAY AWARD 2025: “THIS AWARD DOESN’T RECOGNIZE ANY MEDALS OR RECORDS, IT RECOGNIZES WHO I AM AS A PERSON.”

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We contacted the brand-new winner of the Fair Play Award at the 2025 Panam Sports Awards to hear her thoughts on the tremendous popular support she received in the voting, as well as to learn about her goals for 2026. From Puerto Rico, she happily and proudly agreed to this interview.

Listening to Gladymar Torres speak, it is immediately evident that she is a very mature athlete, with her feet firmly on the ground and a truly admirable sense of teamwork, camaraderie, and passion.

She is only 22 years old and in her short sporting career she has already achieved the Puerto Rican National Record with 11 seconds and 12 hundredths, four national titles, and a gold medal at the Ibero-American Games.

Her experience has led her to become a world-class athlete, and she was nothing less than a semifinalist at the last Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.

At the 2025 Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, she had the honor of being her country’s flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony, but that was not the only reason this talented young athlete made headlines.

In the 100-meter dash final, for the first time in her short athletic career, she shared the final with a teammate, friend, and compatriot.

Something happened in that race that impressed many who witnessed the final, including the media.

Although Gladymar finished fifth, the battle for third place was left in suspense after the athletes crossed the finish line. Her teammate, Frances Colón, looked nervously at the screen displaying the results. Finally, the photo finish showed that the bronze medal went to Puerto Rico.

And that’s when Gladymar, in a surprising show of camaraderie, hugged her friend and compatriot and celebrated as if that third place were her own victory. The two hugged, got emotional, and celebrated this historic medal for their country, for Puerto Rico.

This gesture not only earned her the admiration of many, but also led her to win the Fair Play Award at the Panam Sports Awards, receiving more than 50% of the public vote.

“This award means a lot to me. This award does not recognize any medal or record, it recognizes who I am as a person. So this award reminded me that sport is not about winning, but about values and respect, and for me that means more than any medal,“ said Gladymar Torres in an exclusive interview with Panam Sports.

What memories do you have of the ASU 2025 Pan American Games?
”For me, those Pan American Games were very special from the beginning. And that was for three reasons: first, because they were my last youth games; second, because I was chosen to represent my country, so I carried the flag; and third, because it was the first time I had a teammate in my event. Whenever I competed internationally, I saw how other countries had double representation in the finals, and I never had a teammate. So I competed happily, as I was excited to have a teammate. The fact that Puerto Rico had double representation in the final made it even more special.“

How do you remember the moment when they announced that Frances Colón was the bronze medalist?
”When Frances won that medal, I celebrated as if it were my own. It came naturally to me, and when I think about it today, I still get just as excited. It was incredible how Francis did it. In the end, we are one flag, so the achievement is for Puerto Rico. How could I not be excited about that?“

What does camaraderie in sports mean to you?
“Well, for me, camaraderie is everything. Even though we compete against each other, we share dreams and sacrifices, so for me, supporting each other doesn’t make us less competitive, it makes us better people.”

What are your goals for 2026, Gladymar?
“My goals for this season are to continue growing as an athlete, stay healthy, and be consistent in my competitions. I want to continue representing Puerto Rico with pride and continue enjoying the process, but… without losing the values that have brought me here.”