Behind the Future of An Exceptional Mom

miércoles 19 de noviembre - 2025

Región SurOccidente

Who stands behind a high-performance athlete?
A coach, a family… and in this story, a devoted mother.

This is the story of Zulma, the mother of Jeremías, a 13-year-old boy from Medellín who has been recognized as an Exceptional Talent by the Medellín City Hall. He participates in World Vision through the Niñez Ya Children’s Participation Roundtable, promoting children’s rights.

Jeremías has always been the hero of his story — one that inspires children, teenagers, and even adults. But this time, the spotlight turns to his mother, Zulma, a 47-year-old Venezuelan woman with big dreams and a clear purpose: to walk hand in hand with her children and watch them succeed.

Zulma is a professional in Bioanalysis — a field known in Colombia as Bacteriology. She has three children: Sofía, 19; Jeremías, 13; and Carlota, 9.

They migrated from Venezuela in 2017 along with the children’s father, first arriving in Villavicencio. Adapting wasn’t easy. At first, they tried raising broiler chickens, but the business didn’t work out. Later, they opened a small fast-food stand that sustained them for three years until the pandemic forced them to close and start all over again.

World Vision Colombia

In 2020, they moved to Medellín. Things seemed to finally be looking up, though the beginning was tough — they arrived at the bus terminal with just a few suitcases, hoping the children’s father would find a place to stay the night. Soon after, Zulma, more determined than ever, found an apartment and school spots for her children. Life began to stabilize.

But a new challenge came along. The children’s father fell into a deep depression and decided to return to Venezuela. Zulma supported his decision, but she stayed in Colombia alone with her children. Over time, she discovered her own strength: she learned to organize herself, to provide for her family, and to realize that she could move forward on her own.

Why Medellín?

For Zulma, the choice was purely maternal. She thought that if Medellín had produced so many world-renowned artists and athletes, then this was the city where her children could build a promising future. She fondly remembers the day they first visited the city’s aquatic complex — they were amazed, and she snapped a photo of them, saying, “You will represent Medellín one day.”

Five years have passed since then. Today, she lives with Jeremías, Carlota, her mother Rosana, and Ainaya — the family cat who completes the household.

Her eldest daughter, Sofía, has lived in England for four years, studying Fashion Design. The distance has been hard, but Zulma accepts it as a necessary step.

“She told me not to be sad because that would be like clipping her wings. And that day I understood — as mothers, we must give our children wings.”

Being strong, learning to let go, and dreaming alongside her children — these are the qualities that define Zulma.

Both Jeremías and Carlota have been recognized as Exceptional Talents by the Medellín City Hall. They are both high-performance fin swimmers, a sport that demands effort, discipline, and immense family dedication.

Their day starts at 4:45 a.m. Zulma gets Jeremías ready for school, then takes Carlota to training until noon. Afterward, she prepares her for school, picks up Jeremías, they have lunch together, and she takes him to training at 2:30 p.m.

While he trains, Zulma sells her Aquapop popsicles nearby, then takes him to the gym until 6 p.m. Her mother helps by picking Carlota up from school. The family’s day usually ends around 11:30 p.m. after homework and dinner. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Zulma studies English: “That’s another goal I have this year — to learn this language.”

When there are competitions, weekends are filled with tournaments and entrepreneurship fairs.

“Dealing with exhaustion — it’s possible. Of course, we moms get tired. Sometimes it feels like we can’t keep going, but having high-performance athlete children turns us parents into high-performance parents too. One thing I’ve learned from my kids is discipline. They’re so committed — even when they’re tired, they wake up early, do what they need to do, and keep going.”

And while Zulma’s resilience is remarkable, she hasn’t walked this journey alone.

Her support network, formed by the mothers of her children’s swimming teammates, has been essential. They all understand what it means to sustain a child’s athletic dream. They support, encourage, and care for each other.

“We’ve become mothers who always lift up our children — we don’t let anyone minimize them or dim their dreams. There will always be people who say, ‘You can’t,’ but together we remind them that they can.”

At every competition, they seem like one big team — mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters celebrating victories and embracing through defeats. They’ve built a community bound by effort and hope.

World Vision

“For our family, sports have also been a way to build bonds with other families. We’ve created a very special support network — especially because we don’t have relatives here in Medellín. They’ve become the family we longed for away from home.”

World Vision’s presence in Jeremías’s life has been another turning point — an opportunity Zulma saw clearly. Through the organization, he began to develop his leadership, and now, after three years, she says World Vision feels like part of their family.

“My message to World Vision is: don’t give up, no matter the challenges. My deepest gratitude, not only for the support we’ve received, but for the positive impact you bring to every community you touch. World Vision has transformed our lives and our outlook. Sometimes I think that if they hadn’t come into our lives, maybe we wouldn’t be here today.”

Geting a job, is hard

Zulma hasn’t been able to work in her profession for eight years in Colombia, due to the complex revalidation process for healthcare careers.

In the meantime, she has found ways to stay active in the health field. She completed a course in gerontology assistance and worked caring for older adults. She also took a data analysis course offered by the city government. Still, her top priority remains being there for Jeremías and Carlota.

“Not being able to practice my profession, going through long revalidation processes, and not finding a job where I can use my skills has been hard. Sometimes you have to do a bit of everything to make ends meet. That’s one of the biggest challenges for migrants — learning to manage frustration and accept circumstances, even when they’re not ideal.”

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Out of that need, her business Aquapop Popsicles was born — a purpose-driven project she started six months ago with a Venezuelan friend whose children also swim. Both share the same goal: to earn an income while supporting their children.

The product has identity, quality, and a touch of maternal love — inspired by water and sport. “We’ve already supported a young finswimmer who was able to travel to the World Championship in Greece. Our dream is to keep growing and help more young athletes.”

Zulma proudly participates in local fairs, promotes her products, and celebrates each milestone as another step toward the future she’s building for her family.

Although her life in Medellín is now more stable, the idea of returning to Venezuela still lingers. “When I think about it and see how happy and adapted Jeremías and Carlota are, I realize my priority is them. My time can wait a little longer.”

She constantly motivates her children, reminding them that they are capable and that believing in themselves is key:

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“Carlota, keep being yourself — bold and unstoppable. Stay focused and positive. Since you were little, you’ve overcome so much, and for you, every challenge will be easier because you are brave and committed.”

“Jeremías, never let anyone change your heart. You have a noble heart. Keep following your dreams — the world can be different, just as you imagine it. I truly believe that.”

The achievements of Sofía, Carlota, and Jeremías reflect the tireless effort of a mother who remains a woman and a professional at heart.
“When I decided to be a mother, I told myself that if I was going to do it, I had to raise wonderful human beings for the world. And I think that’s what I’m doing.”

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“She’s my special person — my mom. She’s my role model, the one who has supported me through everything, and I love her so much.” — Jeremías, son of Zulma

“My goal is to accompany my children until they can walk confidently on their own. When that time comes, I want to return to my personal projects — the dreams I put on hold as a woman and as a professional.”

Zulma is the living example of a mother’s unconditional love — a woman who puts her children first but also recognizes her own strength, resilience, and tenderness. She finds in their smiles the motivation to keep building a better world — not only for them but for all children who need care and hope.

“Always support your children — even when their dreams aren’t yours. When a child practices a sport, they do it because they love it, because it’s their dream, not their parents’. We must respect that.”

Zulma stands behind her children’s transformative future, but every day she also stands in front of the woman who remembers that being a mom, a professional, a friend, a daughter, a dreamer, and resilient — means being both behind and ahead of a great future.

“I tell myself I’m doing things right. I have to feel proud. Better days are coming — undoubted

Behind the Future of An Exceptional Mom

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