Eight years ago, Argentina women’s beach handball senior team captain Gisella BONOMI won gold at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, the first appearance of beach handball in any Olympic Games event.

BONOMI, along with teammates Lucila BALSAS and Zoe TURNES, went on to win numerous medals in their career at various levels, with all three playing in the teams who won senior gold at The World Games (2025), South and Central America Championship (2026) and IHF World Championship (2026) – all under the guidance of coach Leticia BRUNATI.

These golds make them the only three players in beach handball history to hold Youth Olympic Games gold, continental, world and The World Games titles at the same time.

On the eve of the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, BONOMI writes a letter to the Youth Olympic Games about how it changed her life.

 

A Letter to the Youth Olympic Games, by Gisella BONOMI

It is difficult to put into words what the Youth Olympic Games mean to me. Eight years later, I still look back on them with so much excitement and joy. And the more time passes, the more I realise the new ways in which they continue to shape me today.

When I think about the beginning, I could tell the story of the day I was called up to train with the national beach handball team. But that is not even where it all began.

I was 14 when my PE teacher walked into the classroom carrying a stack of forms and measuring equipment. He told us that in 2018, a very important sporting event for our country would take place. It was four years away.

I thought; ‘Wow, what a dream it would be to be there, among thousands and thousands of Argentinians. Who could be selected? Who could be there?’

That was the moment when, without me knowing how or when, a dream began to take shape.

It was a dream that did not unfold overnight, but one day at a time. I started out dreaming just of participating, and four years later, I was dreaming of becoming a world champion.

Along the way, I grew not only as a player but, thanks to that, as a person too. I met Leticia. A visionary and the most passionate person about beach handball I had ever encountered. She radiates a love for this sport that goes far beyond the game itself. It is truly infectious – and that is exactly what happened to me too.

Over those years, I played, I felt frustration, I made mistakes, I laughed. But, above all, I kept trying. I met people who taught me values worth admiring, received advice and support, and found new sisters along the way.

Every training session was filled with nerves, laughter and, sometimes, sadness. The process is tough, gruelling and making it to the end is not easy. But this group always made you look forward. 

 

I never felt alone. Every glance on the court was connection; every defence, every goal. Everything we shouted was straight from the heart.

And then came the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

They were the most incredible Games and we got to experience them right at home. 

Buenos Aires was radiant and joyful. The streets were decked out in colour and the volunteers greeted us with the biggest, beaming smiles. It felt as though the whole city was celebrating something extraordinary, something monumental.

The opening ceremony took place at the Obelisk, our most iconic monument. It could not have been any better: lights, dancers, the Olympic torch and streets filled with people. I felt like a little girl again.

That same feeling stayed with me every time I stepped onto the court. The stands were overflowing with people. I no longer recognised everyone around me. They were filled with people painted in blue and white, cheering for us as if we were Messi.

Before our very first game, the shock was overwhelming but Leticia brought us back down to earth. We looked each other in the eyes and reminded ourselves of our goal. We all shared that moment. It was as if we could feel what the other was feeling. And that is how we went out to play.

The crowd stood by us and sang with all their hearts. We played with all our hearts too. 10 games went by like that.

Connection, the people, my country.

I could never have imagined, not even in my dreams, that it would be so beautiful.

But, as they say, the best is saved for last. And so, it was. An epic journey. An incredible gold medal. Our boys won bronze. And there we were, on the podium too. All of us together, standing there. And then came the announcements: “And now, the Argentine national anthem.”

My heart stopped.

My mind played a movie of everything it had taken to get there. Every moment. The good. The bad. The sacrifices.

Everything.

 

The blue and white flag, raised high, in the sky where it belongs.

The anthem ended. We had given it everything. I started breathing again. I could finally catch my breath.

And the rest is history. We made history.

The Youth Olympic Games were a turning point in my life. I began as a little girl and everything they left behind in me marked me forever. 

Even today, eight years later, I keep discovering just how much.

I want to dedicate these words to my family: my mum, my dad, Malena and my grandma Isa. 

And to my best friends; Agus, Vale, Lau and Luz. 

Because being there for someone through a journey like this is not easy, but they were there. To hold my hand along the way and raise it alongside mine in celebration.

To those who believe in the unseen work behind what we do and nurture our passions.

Thank you. Gisella Bonomi