Susana Rodriguez

Started: She took up Para triathlon in 2010 at age 22 in Galicia, Spain. (Athlete, 27 Nov 2015) Reason: She had wanted to compete in Para athletics at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, but just missed out on selection. Disappointed, she left the sport. While surfing the internet one day, she saw information about Para triathlon and decided to try it. She had to convince a friend to be her guide and needed to borrow a bike when she entered a race, but she loved the experience. (marca.com, 15 Apr 2014; triatlonchannel.com, 19 Nov 2012) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (as.com, 14 Nov 2023) Milestones: She became the first Spanish triathlete to win a Paralympic gold medal in the sport when she triumphed in the women's PTVI event at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. The medal was also Spain's first podium finish in a women's triathlon event at the Paralympic Games. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Jul 2024) Awards: She was named Female Para Triathlete of the Year for 2023 by the Spanish Triathlon Federation. (trimurcia.es, 01 Jan 2024) She received the Queen Letizia Award for Spanish Female Athlete of the Year for 2022. She was the first Para athlete to receive the award. (inese.es, 05 Apr 2024; paralimpicos.es, 27 Dec 2023) The sports gym at the Rosalia de Castro school in Vigo, Spain, is named in her honour. (vigoe.es, 27 Jun 2021) In 2018 she was named Para Athlete of the Year at the Galician Women's Sports Awards in Pontevedra, Spain. (pontevedraviva.com, 11 Apr 2019) In 2014 she received the Star of Excellence, the highest distinction given to a sportsperson by the University of Vigo in Spain, in recognition of her achievements in Para triathlon. (tv.uvigo.es, 12 Dec 2014; farodevigo.es, 12 Dec 2014) In 2013 she was named Athlete of the Year in Vigo, Spain, at a gala organised by the regional government in recognition of her achievements in Para triathlon. (farodevigo.es, 23 Mar 2014) Additional Info: ATHLETICS AND TRIATHLON After missing out on selection in the 100m for the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, she switched her focus to Para triathlon in 2010. She returned to international Para athletics at the 2018 Grand Prix in Paris, France, and went on to win a silver medal in the T11 1500m at the 2021 European Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, before competing in the same event at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo alongside triathlon. "I'm just going to prepare for triathlon [for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris] because it is the sport that gives me the most joy right now [speaking in late 2023]. To improve the result of the previous Games [in the 1500m athletics event] I would have to fully dedicate myself to it. That's a toll that I don't want to pay. Triathlon is what I like the most." (as.com, 14 Nov 2023; marca.com, 18 Oct 2019, 15 Apr 2014; Paralimpicos TV YouTube channel, 09 Jan 2019; Athlete, 27 Nov 2015; triatlonchannel.com, 19 Nov 2012) BARBIE ROLE MODEL In 2024 toy company Mattel launched a Barbie doll with her likeness as part of its Barbie Role Models campaign. "Having a Barbie with your own image is something amazing. It's an example that with work we can achieve many of the goals we dreamt about during childhood and I want it to transmit just that." (elpais.com, 21 May 2024) OCCUPATION She has worked as a medical specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation in Vigo, Spain. "Medicine and sport are alike in the perseverance that both require. In sport, to improve and stay at the top you must train, and in medicine you have to be up to date with things like review studies." (LinkedIn profile, 03 Dec 2023; triatlonchannel.com, 09 Jan 2021; atlantico.net, 08 Oct 2020; redaccionmedica.com, 22 Nov 2019; Athlete, 06 Nov 2019; concursoescolar.hoy.es, 07 May 2019; planetatriatlon.com, 18 May 2017; lavozdegalicia.es, 28 Nov 2016) HEART CONDITION In January 2020 she was diagnosed with long QT syndrome, a heart rhythm disorder. She underwent surgery to implant a heart monitor that sends heartbeat data to a hospital in Vigo, Spain, to detect any anomalies. "If there is a problem we know immediately. Now I can push hard again in every training session, which is what I missed following the diagnosis. The feeling of doing what you love but doubting whether you are doing the right thing or not was distressing." (Marca YouTube channel, 24 Mar 2023; triatlonchannel.com, 09 Jan 2021) CLUB FOUNDER In 2021 she co-founded the Delikia sports club in Vigo, Spain, along with Celso Comesana Pereira. She serves as honorary president of the club, which focuses on inclusivity. (lavozdegalicia.es, 01 May 2023)