A Tulum para-athlete, 19-year-old Ilian Aracely Poot Navarrete, is asking residents, businesses, and local officials to help fund her trip to an international competition in Tlaxcala this July.
She competes in the F32 classification and needs between 35,000 and 50,000 pesos to cover lodging, meals, and travel for the World Para Athletics Grand Prix, held from July 21 to 24 in the Tlaxcala state capital. The meet is part of the World Para Athletics global circuit, which in 2026 runs across nine cities on four continents, and it would mark her second appearance there.
With the competition only weeks away, the deadline is real. Poot Navarrete says that without the funds, her participation could fall through, even though she has already shown she belongs on the international stage.
What Ilian Poot needs to compete
The amount she is trying to raise covers the basics of attending a multi-day meet far from home. "My goal is to keep representing Tulum, Quintana Roo, and Mexico with pride in national and international competitions," she said. "To do that, I need to gather the resources that let me attend this event and continue my training."
She is a three-time national champion in shot put and also competes in club throw, two field events in Para athletics. At the 2025 edition of the Grand Prix, she placed fourth internationally, a result she now wants to improve.
A record built since age 12
Poot Navarrete made her debut at the National Paralympic Games in 2021, representing Quintana Roo. From there, the medals accumulated. She took silver in club throw in Sonora, then gold in shot put and silver in club throw in Cancun. In Oaxaca, she won gold again in shot put and placed third in club throw.
Her most recent outing came at the 2025 National Paralympic Games in Aguascalientes, where she claimed her third straight shot put title. The wins in 2023, 2024, and 2025 made her a three-time national champion in the event.
The coach who trains her without pay
Behind the results is Antonio Andrade Arroyo, who has coached Poot Navarrete since she was 12 and continues to guide her preparation without any salary. The athlete and her family want him included in whatever support comes through, citing his role in everything she has achieved.
Why this Tulum para-athlete is still waiting on city hall
According to her family, they have already approached municipal authorities for financial backing. So far, they say, no definitive answer has come.
That silence is part of why the appeal has moved to the wider community. The family frames the request as recognition, not charity. "We are not asking for charity. We are talking about a high-performance athlete who has delivered results for Tulum and wants to keep raising the name of our municipality," they said.
A raffle, donations, and a phone number
The family has launched a fundraising drive and is organizing a raffle to gather the money. They are also asking local businesses to donate products or services that can be raffled off. Anyone who wants to contribute can reach the athlete's mother, Nidia Navarrete, at 984 150 3155.
A strong showing in Tlaxcala could open the door to more international competitions, including events planned abroad in the coming months. For now, Poot Navarrete is counting on her own community to turn a funding gap into another chance to compete.
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