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Galician doctor, specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation, cover of Time magazine for her work during the pandemic and gold in triathlon at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. Susana Rodriguez Gacio is an example of overcoming. have won the prize Iberdrola Exceeds Inclusion for his project ‘Capaces de todo’ is yet another recognition of his formidable sports career.
At what point and why did you decide to help young people with disabilities to practice athletics?
It arises in Tokyo. I had already achieved my gold medal in triathlon and had already participated in the 1,500. I was returning from the final on the bus with Celso Comesaña, who was my athletics guide at the Games, and we began to talk about our journey in sports and that we would like to do a project where we could give back to sport at least part of what had given us We started talking about the trips, the teammates, the experiences, having been able to experience the Games… and that’s where the club came about. To create the club we have the help of Delikia, which is a company dedicated to vending based in Vigo. He has been one of my sponsors since 2019. Once the club was created, we believed that the most relevant thing was that it be an inclusive club, that there would be a place for people with disabilities who wanted to practice sports. So we created the athletics school first and triathlon later. Always with the idea that the training sessions were between people with disabilities and those without disabilities. That they can coexist is a benefit for both.
How many days do you train and in what conditions?
Once the club was created, we believed that the most pertinent thing was that it be an inclusive club, that there would be a place for people with disabilities who wanted to practice sports.
Susana Rodríguez, Paralympic champion of adapted triathlon
At the club there are training sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Also on weekends some bike rides or competitions are organized. But the children train on Tuesdays and Fridays. We use municipal facilities which are fine but availability is limited. We also use the environments that the city offers us. In Vigo there are several places where you can train. It depends a bit on the season and the weather.
What is the next step once Iberdrola’s award has been achieved?
Once the Iberdrola award has been achieved, the idea is to be able to have their own place to train. Also improve the training of technicians in adapted sports, disseminate and try to attract more children in schools, associations… That they want to join the project so that it can be consolidated.
Tell the story of little Carla, please.
There are no equal awards like these in our country. Many projects are presented and I am sure that they all deserve to win
Susana Rodríguez, Paralympic champion of adapted triathlon
Carla is now 12 years old, she turns 13 in January. I have known her family since 2014, meaning that when Carla was 4 years old, her mother wrote to me online. She gave me her number. Since she was a visually impaired girl, I called her. Since then I have become friends with her family. I took Carla to Pontevedra later so she could get to know the athletics track and so, if she wanted to sign up for the Spanish championship for Paralympic athletics promises, she would do it. She liked it a lot, she started and now she trains with us. She also does some triathlon but she lives in a town that doesn’t have very easy access to the pool. Now she is going to come to Vigo to swim. She has a very involved family, which she works very hard for. She is also a very hard worker. She has all the necessary ingredients to be able to play sports. If he continues to like her, she could advance in the competition and who knows if one day she will be able to be in the Spanish teams.
How do you feel when you receive this recognition from Iberdrola?
Talking about Spanish sport without talking about Iberdrola could not be understood. It is a company that for many years has made an incredible investment in women’s sports and sports for people with disabilities. The best example is the Supera awards. There are no equal awards in our country. There are so many projects submitted and I’m sure they all deserve to win. It is an honor. I hope that we are up to the task and that we can take the Iberdrola name to many places.
*This content offered by IBERDROLA has been prepared by Diario AS.