The best Colombian junior cyclist of the moment has a rather unique story in the sport. From being a prominent table tennis player in the municipality of Caucasia, she quickly became a world figure in track cycling. The reason? The pandemic. Here we tell you how her life was turned upside down after the lockdown in 2020.
The Coronavirus pandemic in 2020 changed the lives of many people around the world. The measures adopted by most countries affected a large part of the population. The use of masks and the forced confinement of people in their homes marked a before and after in the lives of many.
Such is the case of Stefany Cuadrado, a prominent table tennis player from Caucasia, Antioquia, who never imagined that the pandemic would be the main reason for her change of sport.
Overwhelmed and bored by being confined to her home, she began to go out on her bicycle with her mother Eliana Florez and her father Yúber Cuadrado, until she was spotted by coach Jaime Espinoza, who was amazed by Stefany and saw in her a diamond in the rough that would soon bear fruit.
And he was not mistaken. She gave up table tennis and began to devote herself to track cycling. In a very short time, she improved enormously, and 2023 was her first big year internationally, winning her first gold medal at the Junior World Championships in Cali, and a year later, she was crowned three-time champion at the World Championships in Luoyang, China.
At 19 years old, she has won four gold medals and one silver medal in world championships, eight Pan American titles, and is the clear favorite to win more than one gold medal at the 2025 ASU Junior Pan American Games.
Would you say that, thanks to the pandemic, you are now a world-class cyclist?
“Yes, it’s true. I used to play table tennis, and the transition to cycling was thanks to the pandemic. Locked up in my house, I had the option of going out cycling because it is a sport with very little physical contact, so my mom invited me to go out and I fell in love with it from the very first moment.”
What does cycling mean to you?
I love cycling. It’s a way to break out of the routine. Every time I get on my bike, I simply feel like I’m flying. So I think it’s incredible.
ASU2025 is coming up. What are your goals?
My goals for ASU 2025 are to win everything, God willing. And obviously, first I want to enjoy myself and do things well.
What does being a Panam Sports Team Ambassador mean to you?
For me, being a Panam Sports Team Ambassador is a great opportunity. I’m very proud, I’m 100% flattered, and it’s great that they’re interested in this process on the track.
The Power of the New Generation is our slogan…
I love it. It conveys power, it conveys that drive that young people have now. Young people are coming on strong, with much more speed. A new era is coming, with us as the protagonists.
Panam Sports members assemble for the first Olympic event ever held on […]
On Monday, leaders from National Olympic Committees across the Americas came together […]
The second day of Panam Sports Week brought together athletes, administrators, and […]
The two-time Olympic diving medalist is embracing her new role as president […]
The premiere of this film, which tells the story of sacrifice, effort, […]
For the first time in his short sporting career, he will represent […]
The athlete from the British Virgin Islands is counting down the hours […]
He spent many months as the absolute leader of the season in […]
She is the host country’s representative in Team Panam Sports 2025 for […]