PANAM SPORTS BRINGS TOGETHER ATHLETES FROM THE AMERICAS AT THE IV CONTINENTAL ATHLETES’ FORUM IN COSTA RICA

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The event will feature three days of engaging presentations, dialogue, and community-building with the athletes’ commissions of the region’s National Olympic Committee.

COSTA RICA, October 7, 2026. Panam Sports, through its Athletes’ Commission and with the support of International Olympic Solidarity, will host the 4th Continental Athletes’ Forum from October 12 to 14.

Following the successful editions in Miami in 2018, Cancún in 2022, and Punta Cana in 2024, the Pan American Sports Organization has chosen San José, Costa Rica, to host this important gathering of athletes from the Americas.

The event will bring together representatives from the various Athletes’ Commissions across the continent with the goal of strengthening the voice of athletes within the Olympic Movement and sharing tools, opportunities, and best practices that will support the work and advancement of athletes in their respective countries.

“With the significant support of International Olympic Solidarity, we are organizing this forum, which means a great deal to our athletes. It is a unique opportunity for our athletes to hear from interesting speakers, share their own experiences, and take back to their countries important development tools so that their commissions can continue to grow and continue to be heard within the Olympic Movement in the Americas,” said Panam Sports Secretary General Jimena Saldaña. 

Day One: Athletes’ Commissions Take the Lead

The first day will focus on the work recently carried out by the Panam Sports Athletes’ Commissions and the International Olympic Committee. 

Representing the IOC, the commission’s president and global basketball legend, Pau Gasol, and Colombia’s two-time Olympic champion in BMX cycling, Mariana Pajón, have already confirmed their attendance.

Representing Panam Sports will be the President of the Athletes’ Commission, Isabel Swan of Brazil, and the Vice President, Germán Chiaraviglio of Argentina. 

Participants will then work in groups to analyze what their commissions are doing well, what areas need improvement, and what the role of the Panam Sports Athletes’ Commission is.

For this first day of activities, the “Pan American Athlete’s Path” is scheduled—a two-hour session designed to explain to athletes the opportunities, services, and benefits they can receive through Panam Sports’ various programs; it will also gather and analyze the delegations’ diverse opinions regarding their experiences at the Pan American Games.

Olympic Solidarity representatives Olivier Niamkey and Esperanza Martin Santana will present the programs, funds, and opportunities available to athletes, followed by a question-and-answer session.

A subsequent session will address funding and best practices for athletes’ commissions, including Olympic Solidarity funding for NOC athletes’ commissions, Panam Sports scholarships, and examples from four commissions in the region: Puerto Rico, Mexico, Aruba, and Bermuda.

The day will conclude with an inspirational talk by Costa Rican Olympic athlete Roberto Sawyers about his athletic career and his transition to life after sports. 

Day Two: Integrity, Well-being, and Life After Sports 

The second day will begin with an interactive IOC session led by Karen Dolphin, “Fit for the Future,” on strengthening athlete representation in the Olympic Movement. Next, Susana Egoavil of WADA will give a presentation on the fight against doping and how athletes’ commissions can develop educational activities for athletes.

The program will continue with a focus on athletes’ well-being. Maria Carla Sayavedra and Monserrat Hidalgo will lead a session on safe sport, protection, and mental health. Pau Gasol will return to share his life story, resilience, and legacy, followed by a question-and-answer session.

The afternoon will feature two panels. The first, on career transition and family life, will address entrepreneurship, financial education, and the balance between high-performance sports and family life, with the participation of Macarena Alexanderson, Carlos Santiago, and Mariana Pajón, moderated by Melissa Mojica.

The second panel, “Athletes and Olympians Giving Back to Sports,” will bring together former athlete and current Senator of the Republic of Chile, Sebastian Keitel; the current General Director of Mexico’s CONADE, Rommel Pacheco; Makeba Alcide; and Isabel Swan, with Brendan Williams serving as moderator. This session aims to show the audience how retired athletes, through their work and leadership roles, contribute to giving back to sports and its athletes everything they achieved during their careers. 

Isabel Swan and Germán Chiaraviglio will deliver the closing remarks and present the commission’s commitments during the evening dinner.

Day Three: Teamwork

The forum will conclude on October 14 with a teamwork activity at Cataratas de La Paz, before the participants depart.

Fans can follow the forum live and free of charge on the Panam Sports Channel on October 12 and 13th. The Continental Athletes’ Forum reflects Panam Sports’ commitment to placing athletes at the center of its work and decisions, as the continent moves toward the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima.

Feel free to download the Panam Sports Channel app here. 

Click here to view the full schedule for the IV Athletes’ Forum.