As an Ecuadorian, I am proud of my roots and of my country in general, although we have not been as relevant in the sport worldwide yet among so many defeats and disappointments, there was one person who managed to leave behind a 100 year old bad streak for Ecuador and He won a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Perhaps the most pleasant memory I have of that was the emotion that ran through my body when I saw all my people happy, that pride that the Ecuadorian people felt when watching on television and listening on the radio, that our little jefferson perez had crossed the finish line before anyone else and who had put our mother country at the top of the race was simply magnificent.

It can be said that the whole country was vibrating to the sound of the national himmno that was heard for the first time in a sports event of this magnitude, the whole country cried of happiness and it was impossible not to get infected with that euphoria. It was hard to think that an athlete from a relatively small city, without much support from sports institutions, could even get a bronze medal, but against any prono-cons and with the support of each corner of our beloved Ecuador (half of the world), he managed to cross the threshold of victory and stay engraved forever in the history of our country.

A national hero who made all the speakers and presenters who watched his performance in the race cry, it makes me very happy to remember the moment of his victory with the videos that remain as a record, a forerunner of what Ecuador is capable of and also hear As the announcer's voice is broken by shouting the name of the great athlete, although he is currently retired due to health problems, I can attest as a citizen that he has always been present in everyone's life and with the influence he gained when performing such a feat has always sought the welfare of the most vulnerable, the poor.

A person of humble origin, I even remember reading the children's book that told the story of his childhood, how his dream of running had always been present and how he had to fight to buy his first "golden shoes". He left a line, a goal that other Ecuadorian athletes will have to cross although it will be very difficult.

He also had an exemplary performance, worthy of the gold in the world championships of Paris 2003, Helsinki 2005 and Osaka 2007 in the 20 kilometers march.

Jefferson Perèz will always be the most important sporting symbol that the history of my country has had, a symbol of perseverance and success, a symbol that brought us the greatest of parties to all the streets of the equator, even raising the most bitter of the family and forcing it to surrender to the smiles and celebrations of the whole world.