ROBERTO BONILLA: “I DEDICATE THIS AWARD TO THE ENTIRE PEOPLE OF GUATEMALA.”

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The Best Male Athlete at the 2025 Panam Sports Awards told us how difficult it was to participate in the ASU2025 Junior Pan American Games, what this award means to him, and how grateful he is to his family and his entire country for all the support he has received.

“It is historic for a Chapín to have won this award,” said the Guatemalan swimmer excitedly.

He is only 21 years old, but his words reveal a maturity and professionalism that explain, in a way, the reasons for his achievements and the success he has achieved in his short life as an athlete.

Roberto Bonilla was undoubtedly one of the great figures of the 2025 Junior Pan American Games. He won two gold medals: one in the 200-meter breaststroke and the other in the men’s 200-meter individual medley. His excellent performance also allowed him to break the Games record twice, setting a new best time of 2:12.60 in the 200-meter breaststroke.

Sports fans and Panam Sports followers rewarded his great dedication and achievements with a large number of votes in the Panam Sports Awards, achieving 23.09% of the votes. Second place went to multiple champion Guilhemre Caribe of Brazil (20.41%), and third place went to Venezuelan track and field athlete Ricardo Montes (18.32%).

But his experience at the Pan American Games was not entirely easy. He had to overcome several obstacles in order to represent his beloved Guatemala. But all the effort was worth it.

“The two medals I won are just the tip of the iceberg, as I had to make many sacrifices before and during the run-up to these games. I had problems with my immigration status, and two weeks before the games started, I didn’t know if I would be able to leave the country. The second problem was that I had a shoulder and ankle injury during the summer. Three weeks before the games, I started to wonder if it was really worth competing. However, my travel permit arrived four days before departure. I arrived tired, but I wanted to put Guatemala’s name at the top of these Games,“ said swimmer Roberto Bonilla.

What does winning this award mean to you, Roberto?

”For me, being the winner of this award is a great honor, and I am very grateful to the people who voted for me.”

To whom do you dedicate this award?

First, I dedicate it to God because he enlightened me and gave me many blessings on the way to these Games. Second, to my family because they have supported me throughout my swimming career and have opened many doors for me to win. Third, I want to dedicate this award to the people of Guatemala because I knew I had an entire nation supporting me, and that gave me a lot of motivation and made me very proud. This award also belongs to all of them.”

What’s next for you in 2026, which is just around the corner?

First of all, I have to focus on recovering from my injuries and my physical therapy. Then I have the South East Conference Championship competition for Texas A&M on my calendar, which will be in February. My next international competition for Guatemala will be the Central American and Caribbean Games next summer.

Finally, Roberto, what would be your message to the people who voted for you?

“I want to thank everyone who voted for me, my family for their support, and all of Guatemala for their support. It is historic and an honor for a Chapín to have won this award, and I carry it with great pride. This award is for all of you. Thank you very much, Guatemala.