Alejandro Zarzuela

Started: He began playing wheelchair basketball at age 12 in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. (Athlete, 02 Aug 2016) Reason: He took up sports as part of his rehabilitation, but fell in love with wheelchair basketball after watching his twin brother Pablo at a training session. "I loved the fact that it was both a contact sport and a team sport." (caixabank.com, 06 Jul 2017; sunrisemedical.es, 15 Aug 2016) Milestones: He was part of the Spanish squad that won Spain's first Paralympic medal [silver] in men's wheelchair basketball at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Jul 2024) Awards: He was named in the All Star team at the 2019 European Championships in Walbrzych, Poland. (feddf.es, 08 Sep 2019) In 2016 he received the Sports Award of Andalucia in Spain alongside national teammates Jesus Maria Romero and Pablo Zarzuela. (fundacionandaluciaolimpica.org, 19 Dec 2021; eldiario.es, 12 May 2017) He was named in the All Star team at the 2013 European Championships in Frankfurt, Germany. (feddf.es, 08 Sep 2019) He was named in the All Star team of the Champions League in 2012 and 2013. (fundacionandaluciaolimpica.org, 19 Dec 2021; estoesdxt.es, 28 Jun 2012) Additional Info: CAMPUS In 2019 he and his brother Pablo set up Campus Hermanos Zarzuela, which is a project designed to improve the technique of wheelchair basketball players. "It is not intended as a leisure-sports campus. It is for young boys and girls who are at the learning stage and who have the characteristics and potential to become elite players. We did not know of anything similar for wheelchair basketball in Spain, and we want young people who are just starting out to have as many tools as possible to see how far they can go. We did not have such an opportunity when we were young," Pablo said. (feddf.es, 26 Dec 2019; marca.com, 09 Dec 2019)

Sporting Relatives: His father Juan Miguel Zarzuela competed in archery at the Paralympic Games in 2004 and 2008. His twin brother Pablo has also played wheelchair basketball for Spain, and was part of the team that claimed silver at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. His wife Virginia Perez Gutierrez has represented Spain in wheelchair basketball. (calidadpascual.com, 28 Feb 2020; marca.com, 19 Jun 2017; estoesdxt.es, 02 Feb 2012; eldiadevalladolid.com, 24 Jun 2010; SportsDeskOnline, 08 Aug 2024)