Palacios Dajomes Angie Paola

Angie Paola Palacios Dájomes was born on September 1st, 2000, and she’s a standout Ecuadorian weightlifter. She’s won numerous medals in various weight categories, including gold at the 2022 Pan American Weightlifting Championships and the 2023 Pan American Games. She has overcome great personal challenges to achieve international success.

Angie started weightlifting when she was 10, after watching her brother Javier’s training sessions. She was into sprinting at first, but she soon found her passion in weightlifting, inspired by her sister’s Neisi’s success. Neisi is a three-time Junior World Champion and she’s played a big role in Angie’s motivation, along with their brother Germán, the Pan-American junior champion. She has another sister, Jessica, who’s also making strides as a young lifter. 

Despite societal pressure and self-doubt about her looks, Angie embraced the sport and proudly said, “if they like it, fine, if not, too bad, this is how I am.” 

Her career started off with impressive performances in the 69 and 64 kg categories. In 2019, she won silver medals in snatch, clean and jerk, and total at the Junior World Weightlifting Championships in Fiji and a bronze medal at the Pan American Games. She also represented Ecuador at the 2020 Summer Olympics. 

Her success continued as she moved into the 71 and 76 kg weight classes. In 2022, she won gold in the 71 kg event at the Pan American Weightlifting Championships and another gold in the 76 kg event at the South American Games. In 2023, she won a gold medal at the Pan American Weightlifting Championships in Bariloche, Argentina, and a silver medal at the World Weightlifting Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

Angie’s journey was not without challenges. She faced moments when she considered quitting, but with the support of her sister Neisi and her family, she kept going. Angie and Neisi’s story is one of resilience and inspiration, pushing through hard times, including the deaths of their brother Javier and their mother. 

Apart from weightlifting, Angie likes dancing and cooking, although her training often limits time for other activities.