Herminia: Tradition in Motion
Meet Herminia Nuñez de Mariano, mentor for the next generation of athletes in Boa Vista.
Together with her husband Señor Hermes, Herminia is an active member at KLABU, coaching the youth in running and athletics. Herminia's story is one of roots: of heritage and the passing down of ancestral knowledge. And how sports and culture can tie a community together.
Herminia and her husband Señor Hermes
By day, Herminia works as an artisan, selling handmade crafts. But Herminia’s passion has always been sport.
For generations, Herminia's relatives have sustained themselves through culture: singing, crafting, and sharing traditions as a way of life and livelihood. Practices passed down from her mother and grandmother, and then onto her.
Whereas handicrafts were a way to support her family, sports was Herminia's personal outlet. In her youth, she competed in various disciplines: from running to canoeing, archery, living and breathing sports. As a professional athlete representing Venezuela, she travelled the world alongside her husband, Señor Hermes.
Herminia selling jewellery and Warao handicrafts
For Herminia, sport is more than movement. It creates focus, protection, and purpose.
At 61, sport is still part of Herminia’s everyday life. Alongside her handicraft work, she supports her husband Señor Hermes' coaching and dreams of becoming a running coach herself, teaching children how to run long distances and even marathons.
"So children grow up without weapons. Here, they can play volleyball if they want. They don’t have to go to other places. Here, there is less danger."
Just as she preserves her Warao culture through handicrafts, Herminia is committed to keeping the tradition of sport alive.
Through stories, handicrafts and music, she teaches her grandchildren the values and pride of their Warao culture. By passing on her wisdom, the Warao spirit and identity continues to live on for generations to come.
