Nathalee Aranda is a young Seventh-day Adventist who will represent her native country, Panama, in the long jump mode of the Olympic Games.

"Having qualified for the Olympic Games is a great joy for me because I have been working for years to achieve this goal," said the athlete in an interview for Radio Nuevo Tiempo Perú.

Upon receiving the news of her qualification during a training session, her excitement overflowed into a jump and a cry of joy. "It was exciting and I thanked God very much because thanks to the will, effort, and discipline {He gave me] the goal was achieved," says Nathalee.

However, reaching this level has meant going through several challenges, such as the limitations she had for her training and several of the competitions that were canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite all this, her trust and faith in God grew stronger.

Nathalee Aranda is a 26-year-old athlete who started her sports career when she was 12 years old. During this journey, she has participated in important sporting events in Central America, Central America of the Caribbean, and South America, even winning some of them.

Today, she is happy to be part of the Olympic Games that take place from July 23rd to August 8th in Japan and affirms that each of her achievements is owed to God. "I have always placed each of my competitions and training in the hands of God; I have trusted Him. My trust is in Him because I know that with God I can do everything.”

This article was originally published on the South American Division’s Portuguese news site