• Thanks to the scholarship program of Fundación Iberdrola España, these athletes, beneficiaries of the ADOP plan, will be able to continue their studies.
• This program aims to promote their professional training to facilitate their integration into the labor market once their sports career is over.

The ‘Fundación Iberdrola España Scholarships’ will enable fourteen Paralympic athletes to continue their university studies in the 2021-2022 academic year. The grants are aimed at athletes who are beneficiaries of the ADOP Plan and are pursuing university studies, to facilitate their professional training aimed towards their integration into the labor market, once their sports career is over. The grant ranges between 5,000 and 1,250 euros, depending on the total number of credits enrolled in the academic year.

To be eligible for these grants, athletes must be beneficiaries of the ADOP Plan. Priority is given to those who have benefited from the scholarship in the previous academic year if their average grade is equal to or higher than 5.5. To level the playing field between two candidates, preference is given to the one who is enrolled in the most advanced course and, ultimately, the one with the best academic record.

The recipients of the ‘Fundación Iberdrola España Scholarships’ 2021-2022 of 5,000 euros are:

• Martín de la Puente. Wheelchair tennis player from Vigo, winner of several international tournaments in 2021, as well as the Spanish Championship, and a brand-new diploma at the Tokyo Games in the doubles category. Granting a scholarship to continue his studies in Business Administration and Management at the Universidad Oberta de Cataluña.
• Óscar Salguero. Swimmer from Barcelona with a physical disability and Paralympic runner-up in the 100m breaststroke at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Renewal of the scholarship to continue studying medicine at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

In addition, the following athletes will receive smaller scholarships:

• María Delgado. A visually impaired swimmer from Zaragoza who won a medal at the Funchal 2021 European Championships, as well as a diploma at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. Renewal of a scholarship of 2,500 euros for the completion of the High-Performance COE / UCAM Master.
• Marta Arce. A visually impaired judoka, triple medalist in the Paralympic Games, and diploma in the last ones held in Tokyo. Awarded a scholarship of 2,500 euros for her Social Education Degree at the National University of Education at Distance (UNED).
• Héctor Cabrera. An athlete from Valencia with a visual impairment and bronze medalist in javelin throw at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo 2020. Awarded a scholarship of 2,500 euros for his Primary Education Degree at the Catholic University of Murcia.
• Sarai Gascón. Swimmer from Catalonia with a physical disability, double medalist (silver and bronze) at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Awarded a scholarship of 2,500 euros for her Primary Education Degree at the Catholic University of Murcia.
• Adiaratou Iglesias. A visually impaired athlete, current Paralympic champion in the 400 meters, and runner-up in the 100 meters at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Awarded a scholarship of 2,500 euros for her Physiotherapy Degree at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.
• Miriam Martínez. An athlete from Valencia with cerebral palsy, Paralympic runner-up at the Tokyo 2020 Games in the shot put. Awarded a scholarship of 2,500 euros for her studies in Occupational Therapy at the Catholic University of Murcia.
• Ignacio Ortega. A sportsman with a physical disability, member of the Spanish wheelchair basketball team, fourth classified in the last Tokyo Games. Awarded a scholarship of 2,500 euros to continue his International Relations Degree at the University of Alabama.
• Desirée Vila. An athlete from Galicia with a physical disability, specialist in sprint and long jump events, finalist in the last Tokyo 2020 Games. Awarded a scholarship of 2,500 euros to continue her studies in International Relations at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos.
• Alejandro Rojas. A swimmer from the Canary Islands with cerebral palsy, winner of a diploma at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. He was awarded a scholarship of 1,500 euros to cover his tuition fees for the Primary Education Degree at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
• Iván Cano. A visually impaired athlete from Alicante, Paralympic runner-up in the long jump at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Renewal of a scholarship of 1,250 euros as continuity of the previous year in the realization of external practices and the TFG in the Engineering in Sound and Image in Telecommunications Degree at the University of Alicante.
• Noel Infante. Guide of the blind cyclist Cristian Venge, with whom he won the bronze medal in the last Tokyo Games. A scholarship of 1,250 euros was awarded to defray part of the costs of his Master’s Degree in Cycling Training and Competition at the Catholic University of Valencia.
• Luis Molina. Guide of the blind triathlete José Luis García ‘Jota’. Granting of a scholarship of 1,000 euros as a renewal of the previous year’s scholarship to cover part of the tuition costs for the completion of the Master’s Degree in Teacher of Compulsory Secondary Education and Baccalaureate, Vocational Training and Language Teaching at the Graduate School and Lifelong Learning of the Francisco de Vitoria University.

The award ceremony, held last Wednesday in the Samaranch Hall of the Superior Sports Council, was attended by Fernando García, president of Fundación Iberdrola España, Miguel Carballeda, president of the Spanish Paralympic Committee, and most of the beneficiary athletes, either in person or virtually.

During his speech, Fernando García pointed out that “for us, the most important thing is people and we focus on that. You are an example to follow, both as professionals and as people, and we are doing our part to help you achieve your academic goals. We want to thank you for the example you set for society, for your effort, sacrifice, self-improvement spirit, and enthusiasm”.

For his part, Miguel Carballeda thanked “the enormous social commitment of Fundación Iberdrola to the Spanish Paralympic Committee and its athletes. They help us to take care of the future of all of them beyond their sports careers. More than fifty of our athletes have benefited from these scholarships to pursue studies that facilitate their incorporation into the labor market. Iberdrola and its Foundation care about the future of our athletes and we are extremely grateful”.

Marta Arce spoke on behalf of the scholarship athletes, stating that “Iberdrola has always supported us, especially the women, and in the case of the Foundation, its support is fundamental, as it helps us to grow integrally, not only now but for the future. Because of our sporting involvement, we need that boost towards training that will help us to redirect our career at the end of our sports career, and that is where Fundación Iberdrola comes in”.

As agreed by the monitoring committee of the collaboration agreement between the two entities, this year two athletes will receive the full scholarship, while another twelve will share the amount.

Iberdrola, with Paralympic sport

The granting of these scholarships by Fundación Iberdrola España adds to the company’s support for Paralympic sport, as it has been a sponsor of the Spanish Paralympic Team through the ADOP Plan since its creation in 2005.

With these grants, Iberdrola contributes to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), integrated into its business strategy. Through these grants, the company focuses its efforts on the fulfillment of goal number 10 (reducing inequalities) and goal number 4 (quality education).