doctor, ‘Barbie’ and two-time Paralympic triathlon champion

The Spanish triathlete Susana Rodriguez She revalidated her Paralympic title this Monday by achieving victory in this discipline (in the PTVI category) this Monday in Paris, the consecration of this professional doctor who already has a ‘Barbie’ inspired by her image.

Rodríguez, 36 years old and with a significant visual disability from birth linked to the genetic condition of albinism, dominated his test and was more than two minutes ahead of the Italian. Francesca Tarantellosecond.

“Winning some Games is very difficult, but repeating is even more complicated”she declared satisfied in the mixed zone, before remembering the hard times she went through during preparation.

“After winning in Tokyo 2020 it was difficult for me to find my way again, there were moments when I was not sure if I was going to be on a starting line again, but fortunately we did a great job to return and be able to enjoy this,” he admitted.

The native of Vigo is one of the most recognized faces of Spanish Paralympic sport and not only for her medal in Tokyo three years ago or for her sporting successes, which led her at the beginning of this year to be the first para-athlete to receive the National Sports Award from the hands of Queen Letizia.

Doctor by professionwas on the cover of Time magazine in July 2021 for being “the Paralympic athlete on the front line in Spain’s fight against covid-19.”

Despite “having been doing the same thing for quite a few years,” that cover changed “his life,” he admitted in an interview with the newspaper. The Country shortly before Paris 2024.

Since then, She is an ambassador for some big brands and in February she was on the cover of Elle magazinea way to “give visibility to albinism, which still has a lot of prejudices.”

“The richness of society lies in the diversity of people and the respect that must exist between them, and I believe that we must show that there are different physical bodies and that they are all respectable,” he explained in The Country.

For this reason, she also feels especially proud that the company Mattelon the occasion of the 65th anniversary of Barbiewill release shortly before Paris 2024, dolls inspired by athletes who broke barriers, like the tennis player Serena Williamsthe gymnast Rebecca Andradethe swimmer Francesca Pellegrini… y Susana Rodriguezthe only para-athlete of the nine ‘models’.

“I hope that girls, when they see me and my doll, look at me as an example of a person who, despite having certain difficulties, through work, effort and, above all, self-confidence, can achieve many things.” those goals that seem difficult to achieve,” explained the Spaniard.

Polyglot (speaks English, French and Portuguese, as well as obviously Spanish), Rodríguez came to triathlon almost by chancedue to the disappointment of not qualifying for Beijing 2008 in para-athletics, and always guided by the exploits of her idols, Javier Gomez Noya e Ivan Rañatwo of the great legends of Spanish triathlon, both Galician like her.

After the postponement on Sunday due to the poor quality of the Seine water, the paratriathlon events were finally held this Monday.

Accompanied by your guide Sara PerezSusana Rodríguez already stood out in the first section, the swimming, taking an advantage that she did not let slip and that allowed her to enjoy the triumph as she entered the finish line, located on the Alejandro III bridge, in the heart of Paris, greeting the numerous gathered public.