Maria Emma Gaviria honoured with Colombian Olympic Committee lifetime achievement award

Maria Emma Gaviria, World Archery executive board member and president of World Archery Americas, has been presented with a lifetime achievement award by the Colombian Olympic Committee at the Altius Awards ceremony on 22 January 2026 in Bogotá.

The award highlights her long-standing contribution to sport in Colombia, celebrating a career marked by sustained impact, leadership and service to the sporting community.

Gaviria led the founding of the current, independent national archery federation – today World Archery Colombia – in 2001, building on a structure that had existed since the mid-1970s. She served as its president until 2013 and again from 2017 to the present.

The 74-year-old has since played a pivotal role in the growth and development of archery both nationally and across the Americas. Her work spans governance, development initiatives and the promotion of archery, contributing to the significant growth of the sport’s infrastructure and participation in her home country.

First elected president of World Archery Americas in 2014 and re-elected in subsequent cycles, Gaviria has overseen a period of growth in participation, events and development programmes across the continent.

At international level, she has served on the World Archery executive board since 2013, including as vice-president, contributing to the strategic direction and governance of the sport worldwide. In 2025, Gaviria was also recognised with a silver plaquette at the World Archery Congress, underlining her longstanding service to the sport.

As a key figure in international archery, her leadership continues to shape the sport’s evolution at both continental and global level.