His hometown, Orcealready dedicated themselves to it on August 14, but this Tuesday, September 3, they wanted to join in this recognition the City Council of Granada, the Provincial Council and the Government of Andalusia. All the institutions wanted to pay tribute to Maria Perezgold and silver medalist at the recent Olympic Games in Paris, who, with this double victory, further increases her enviable list of achievements and makes her, probably, the best Spanish athlete of all time.
The walker took advantage of her intervention to support the promotion of sport “at all ages”. And to show that his victory was not individual, he was accompanied by two key elements of his team: his coach, Jacinto Garzonand his physiotherapist, Angel GarciaThe mayor of Granada served as hostess, Marifran Carazobut the delegate of the Provincial Council was also present at the event, Antonio GranadosAnd Eric EscobedoVice-President of the Provincial Council.
As always, Maria Perez gave us her support. We remembered her Alvaro Martinher marathon relay partner and gold medalist, who announced she would not be competing in the 2028 Olympics, which she is still unclear about. He did it to emphasize that they both come from small towns, which has never intimidated them, quite the contrary.
However, this circumstance has forced them to go to larger and better equipped cities to train properly and reach the elite. For this to continue, he said, it is necessary for institutions, each to the extent of their possibilities, to invest in sports infrastructure. In fact, he took the opportunity to ask Eric Escobedo to finish the work on the high-altitude slopes in the city of Guadix.
Eric Escobedo, Marifrán Carazo, María Pérez and Antonio Granados
She is shy, but she recognizes that with so many triumphs behind her, she has become a “reference”, especially for those who are starting out. That is why he said that it is essential to “bet on sports at any age, because it is betting on health”. As for her, this means that her goal remains the same, as always when she goes to compete: “To vibrate, to feel, to enjoy and to suffer“.
Marifrán Carazo thanked María Pérez, the city’s gold medalist, for carrying the name of Granada “at the top of world sport“and that he be a source of inspiration for the youngest for his “fighting spirit, his strength, his will and his improvement”. In this sense, he recalled that that same year, before the Paris Olympics, Orca’s wife had managed to overcome a serious injury that had kept her away from the slopes for months.
On behalf of the Council, Antonio Granados recalled that María Pérez is also a gold medalist from Andalusia, an award that was given to her this year, and acknowledged that he felt “very proud” when she crossed the finish line in Paris. “This is the reward for many years of effort and worksince I was little; the prize after much suffering accompanied by his family, friends and team.”
