Santos wants to become the first indigenous woman to compete for Brazil at the Olympic Games. Getting a ticket to Paris would not only be the fulfillment of a personal dream, but also an accolade for a development project in the Amazon that supports young indigenous athletes.

Graziela Santos was still at school when she met the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS).

"It was a five-hour boat trip from the village where we lived to Manaus. At that time, there was only one elementary school," recalls the Brazilian.

At that time, Santos learned that FAS was setting up an archery project and was looking for young talent.

"This sport has its origins in our ancient culture, because we've been using bows and arrows for a long time. But before this project, I didn't even know archery existed," said Santos.

Now, at 28, she is part of her country's national team and trains at the archery performance center in Maricá, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Santos belongs to the Karapãna indigenous people and comes from the community of Kuana, on the Cuieiras River, about 80 kilometers from Manaus. In the indigenous language, she is called Yaci, which means moon.

Currently, around 1.7 million indigenous people live in Brazil, which represents around 0.8% of the total population. Her brother Gustavo Santos is also a member of the Brazilian national team.

Great potential among indigenous athletes
Now, Graziela Santos has the opportunity to take part in the Olympic Games for the first time. Her rapid growth is due to her talent, hard work during training, her coaches and the support of the FAS, which at the time was specifically looking for indigenous talent.

Although the use of archery is deeply rooted in Santos' ancestral culture, there are some differences between traditional use and Olympic archery.

"Of course there are similarities, but there are also some marked differences," said Santos. "In archery, we have a whole range of equipment, the blades, the strings, the stabilizer and the sight, so that we can get a better result."

Santos is convinced that there is enormous undiscovered potential among indigenous peoples.

"We do everything," she said. "We run, swim, shoot bows and arrows, hunt and fish. Our motor coordination is excellent."

According to Santos, this is the reason why indigenous people from the countryside are able to master different sports more quickly than those from the city.

The dream of your own performance center
The next few weeks will decide whether her big dream of the Olympic Games will come true. But regardless of the outcome, Graziela, her brother Gustavo and FAS have already set an example.

In fact, FAS looks set to change a generation after FAS activists won money in front of millions of viewers on a Brazilian television program. The money will be used to make another dream come true: the construction of an archery training center in the Amazon region.

"I'm convinced that investing in indigenous athletes is a path to success," said Santos. "We come from villages and communities far from Manaus. We don't have the financial resources to travel to Manaus and live there all year round, pay for materials and feed ourselves as top athletes."

A performance center in the region would create the opportunity to pass on experiences to other local young people.

"The construction will lead to the discovery of great talents that we have among our people, and it is important that these young people do not leave their homeland early, but stay close to their families," said Santos. "There will be more top athletes representing indigenous peoples to come."

A performance center in the region would create the opportunity to pass on experiences to other local young people.

"The construction will lead to the discovery of great talents that we have among our people, and it is important that these young people do not leave their homeland early, but stay close to their families," said Santos. "There will be more top athletes representing indigenous peoples to come."

A model for other indigenous peoples
The main focus, however, remains Olympic qualification. The last chance to win a place will be in the qualifiers in Antalya, Turkey, in June.

"As a team, we have to make the final four," said Santos. "Our preparation is intense and we're taking part in international competitions. These events are very important for us to deal with the pressure and improve more and more."

Graziela Santos feels like a pioneer and a role model for other indigenous women. "My example shows that we deserve to be here," she said. "We can choose our goals and prove that one day we will achieve them."