Eleven paralympic athletes to continue their univeristy studies supported by “Fundación Iberdrola España”

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Eleven paralympic athletes to continue their univeristy studies supported by “Fundación Iberdrola España”

ELEVEN PARALYMPIC ATHLETES TO CONTINUE THEIR UNIVERSITY STUDIES SUPPORTED BY ‘FUNDACIÓN IBERDROLA ESPAÑA SCHOLARSHIPS’

Fundación Iberdrola España and Spain’s Paralympic Committee have awarded their ‘Fundación Iberdrola España Scholarships’ to eleven Paralympic athletes, at a ceremony held this morning at the headquarters of the Consejo Superior de Deportes (Spanish National Sports Council) in Madrid. The awards will enable the students to continue their university studies for the 2019-2020 academic year. Attending the ceremony were Fernando García, president of Fundación Iberdrola España, Miguel Carballeda, president of the Spanish Paralympic Committee, and some of the athletes being awarded the scholarships.

‘Fundación Iberdrola España Scholarships’ are awarded to athletes who are university students and beneficiaries of the ADOP Plan. They are designed to encourage higher professional qualifications with a view to assisting their integration into the labour market at the end of their sporting careers.

In his speech, the president of Fundación Iberdrola España, Fernando García, said, “we are very proud to continue our support for Spanish Paralympic sports, not only by encouraging the ADOP Plan, but also through our support for the education of athletes, allowing them to prepare for the future in their professional careers.”

Miguel Carballeda emphasised the fact that Iberdola’s commitment to the Paralympic movement is “more than just a sports sponsorship.” Rather, he said, it was “a commitment to people,” specifically, to those with disabilities. With the help of these scholarships, “we will help you achieve recognition for your sporting talent, but also for your professional talent in the future,” he told the athletes.

Jordi Morales spoke on behalf of the athletes receiving the scholarships. He expressed his gratitude for the scholarship, explaining that the ability to receive training for one’s future provides people with “a lot of reassurance when competing”. María Delgado, having been awarded a grant, said that she hopes “to be an example for other athletes who want to manage both sport and study.”

The beneficiaries of the 2019-2020 “Fundación Iberdrola España Scholarships” are:

  • Héctor Cabrera. Visually impaired athlete from Valencia and silver medallist in the javelin at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai. Scholarship renewed to continue his studies towards a degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences at the University of Valencia.
  • María Delgado. Visually impaired swimmer from Zaragoza and bronze medallist in the 100 metres backstroke at the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships in London. Scholarship renewed to continue her studies towards a degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences at the UAM (Polytechnic University of Madrid).
  • Óscar Salguero. Swimmer from Barcelona with a physical disability and world runner-up in the 100 metres breaststroke in London in 2019. Scholarship renewed to continue his studies towards a degree in Medicine at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
  • Ariadna Edo. Visually impaired swimmer from Castellón and medallist in the most recent Paralympic Games. Scholarship renewed to continue her studies towards a degree in Psychology at Camilo José Cela University.
  • Meritxell Playà. Blind athlete from Barcelona, and bronze medallist in the long jump at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai. Awarded the scholarship to pursue her studies in Law at ESADE.
  • Iván Cano. Visually impaired athlete from Alicante, and bronze medallist in the long jump. Scholarship renewed to continue his studies towards a degree in Sound and Image in Telecommunication Engineering at the University of Alicante.
  • Gerard Descarrega. Visually impaired athlete from Tarragona, Paralympic champion, and winner in the 400 metres in the world and European championships. Renewal of his scholarship to continue his studies towards a degree in Psychology at the Catholic University of Murcia.
  • Jairo Ruiz. Triathlete from Almería with a physical disability and runner-up in Europe 2019. He will continue to study Physical Activity and Sports Sciences at the Polytechnic University of Madrid.
  • Martín de la Puente. Wheelchair tennis player from Vigo, winner of five international tournaments in 2019, including the Spanish Championship. He will pursue his studies in Business Administration and Management at the UOC (Open University of Catalonia).
  • Enhamed Enhamed. Blind swimmer from the Canary Islands, and winner of nine medals from the Paralympic Games. Scholarship awarded to continue his studies towards a degree in Psychology at the European University in Madrid.
  • Jordi Morales. Table tennis player with a physical disability from Barcelona. He will put his scholarship towards the costs of a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Management at Business School.

Iberdrola, promoting Paralympic Sport

The awarding of these scholarships by Fundación Iberdrola España builds on the company’s existing support of Paralympic sports. Iberdrola has sponsored the Spanish Paralympic Team via the ADOP Plan since it was established in 2005.

The awarding of these scholarships contributes to helping Iberdrola achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations, which form part of its corporate strategy. In so doing, the company is focusing its efforts on achieving Goals 10 (reducing inequality) and 4 (quality education).