Winning a medal for your country would normally be enough to make any athlete forget about work for a while. For Argentine sprinter Guillermina Cossio, however, that was not the case. On September 25, Cossio helped Argentina win silver in the mixed 4×100m relay at the 2026 South American Games in Santa Fe, running 42.22 seconds alongside Lucas Villegas, Milagros D’Amico and Tomás Mondino. But after the race, the 24-year-old revealed that she had been juggling her job with her preparations for the final.

Cossio had brought her computer with her to the Games so she could continue working whenever her schedule allowed. She explained that she tried to get some work done in the afternoon, although her competition schedule made it difficult to spend much time on her computer. Her workload did not disappear simply because she was competing for Argentina. In fact, the pressure followed her right up to the relay final.

Cossio revealed that, “My boss was sending me things for work, and I had to be focused on today’s final, which makes me lose focus a bit.” Despite the distraction, Cossio delivered when Argentina needed her. The quartet finished second in the mixed 4×100m. For Cossio, representing her country does not come with the luxury of putting everyday responsibilities on hold.

Her story becomes even more interesting when looking back at where her journey began. Cossio grew up in Murphy, a small town in Santa Fe Province, and started athletics at 11 after competing in the school stage of the Juegos Evita. Coach Andrés Giovanetti spotted her potential and eventually became her long-time coach. The path from a small Argentine town to international competition was not built around ideal training conditions.

Cossio has recalled training on a dirt track in nearby Venado Tuerto and using a 1,000-meter concrete road in her hometown. At times, she and her family simply made use of whatever they had available. “We used soda bottle caps as cones. My dad would put them on the sidewalks, and I’d practice sprints starting from my backyard,” she recalled.

Those early experiences eventually took her to Spain. Around 2021-22, Cossio had the chance to move to either the United States or Spain. She chose Spain and eventually settled in Barcelona, where she continued pursuing athletics while studying and working. “There is little support, few facilities. In my case, it’s complicated because I have to work, study, and train,” she said.

By 2025, Cossio was reported to be working as an administrative employee at a road-signage company while studying for a Marketing degree at the University of Palermo. She was also continuing her athletics career in Barcelona. Despite the challenges of balancing work, studies, and athletics, Cossio has continued to build an impressive track record over the years.

Cossio’s journey from a junior record to international medals

Guillermina Cossio’s achievements stretch back to her junior career, when she represented Argentina at the 2018 World U20 Championships in Tampere. That same year, she ran 11.70 seconds in the 100m to become the Argentine U20 record holder in the event. Her progress continued at the senior level. At the 2021 South American U23 Championships in Guayaquil, Cossio claimed bronze in the 200m after running 23.98 seconds in the final.

She later added another international medal at the 2025 South American Championships in Mar del Plata, where she helped Argentina win bronze in the women’s 4×100m relay and also reached the 200m semifinal. The 2025 season also brought individual success. Cossio won the women’s 100m at a Continental Tour Bronze meeting in Santiago, Chile. She also won the indoor 200m at the Catalan Championships and later finished second in the 100m at a Catalan competition, while helping Barcelona claim a 4×100m relay title.

Her form reached another level in 2026. At the Ibero-American Championships in Lima, Cossio helped Argentina win silver in the women’s 4×100m relay, with the team clocking 45.02 seconds. She was also part of Argentina’s mixed 4×400m relay team that finished fifth while setting a new national record of 3:20.94.

She then produced one of the biggest individual breakthroughs of her career. On February 15 in Sabadell, Spain, Cossio ran 24.27 seconds in the indoor 200m to break Argentina’s national record of 24.41. Just 12 days later in Valencia, she lowered it again to 24.25 seconds.

Her momentum continued into the outdoor season. In April, she won the 200m at Argentina’s Copa Nacional de Clubes at CENARD in Buenos Aires, crossing the line in 24.05 seconds. Then, on July 26, she recorded a new personal best of 23.62 seconds at the Spanish Championships in Málaga.  Taken together, her record tells a much bigger story than one medal in Santa Fe.