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Teresa Perales

"Anything is possible when you commit to seriously achieving it."

Losing Vs. stop winning

Losing Vs. stop winning

For me, sports is an unbeatable teaching of values. When I started to walk I practised karate, horse riding... a little of everything, although without competing. It has made me much stronger as a person and it has helped me to understand the big difference between losing and stop winning.

Losing is to give up or not to dare to try, while to stop winning is just not getting (momentarily) what you pursue. But it has also taught me to dare to win and fight every day to be a little better. Never settle and always strive for excellence in what I do. Somehow, sport has taught me to live life to its fullest.

I started swimming with a life jacket because I had never known how to swim well, much less without mobility or no feeling in my legs. Almost from the beginning, I saw that moving through the water was good for me. They put a timer in front of me and I checked that the timer stopped faster and faster. 

A diamond to be polished

A diamond to be polished

At 19 I suffered a neuropathy that affected my lower extremities and my arms a little bit, and since then I'm using a wheelchair. In my new situation, one day I went into a pool on summer vacation. That first time I had to do it with a life jacket. However, the feeling was very good and I decided I wanted to learn to swim.

Coming back to my city, Zaragoza, I signed up for a swimming club. One of the trainers saw me in the water and told me "you are a diamond in the rough that we have to polish." I started training and very soon I started competing. Now I am on my way to my sixth Paralympic Games.

I graduated in Physiotherapy, although I wanted to be a doctor to go on missions and help people around the world. In my vocation of service, I also went through politics in the Courts of Aragon and in the Government of Aragon. Now I combine sports with motivational talks and my collaboration with different foundations and NGOs.

Teresa Perales 's Road To Glory

2021

Paralympic Games (Tokyo)

Bronze - 50m Backstroke

2019

World Para Swimming Championships - London

Gold - 50m Backstoke

Bronze - 4 x 100 Medley Relay (34 points)

2017

2017 World Para Swimming Championships - Mexico

Silver - 50m Backstroke

Silver - 100m Freestyle

2016

Paralympic Games (Rio)

Gold - 50m Backstroke
Silver - 200m Freestyle Swimming
Silver - 100m Freestyle
Silver - Individual Medley
4th Place - 50m Freestyle
5th Place - 50m Butterfly

2012

2012 Paralympic Games

Silver - 50 m Freestyle S5
Bronze - 200 m Individual Medley SM5
Silver - 200 m Freestyle S5
Bronze - 100 m Breaststroke SB4
Silver - 50 m Butterfly S5
Gold - 100 m Freestyle S5

2008

2008 Paralympic Games

Gold - 50 m Freestyle S5
Gold - 100 m Freestyle S5
Gold - 200 m Freestyle S5
Silver - 50 m Backstroke S5
Bronze - 100 m Breaststroke SB4

2006

2006 World Championships

Bronze - 50 m Backstroke S5
Bronze - 50 m Backstroke S5
Silver - 50 m Butterfly S5

2004

2004 Paralympic Games

Bronze - 50 m Freestyle S5
Gold - 100 m Freestyle S5
Bronze - 50 m Backstroke S5
Bronze - 100 m Breaststroke SB4
Gold - 50 m Butterfly S5
Silver - 4 x 50 m Medley Relay 20 Points

2002

2002 World Championships

Silver - 50 m Freestyle S5
Silver - 100 m Freestyle S5
Bronze - 200 m Freestyle S5
Bronze - 50 m Backstroke S5
Silver - 100 m Breaststroke SB4
Silver - 50 m Butterfly S5
Silver - 200 m Individual Medley SM5

2000

2000 Paralympic Games

Bronze - 50 m Freestyle S5
Bronze - 100 m Freestyle S5
Bronze - 200 m Freestyle S5
Bronze - 50 m Backstroke S5
Silver - 50 m Butterfly S5

1998

1998 World Championships

Bronze - 50 m Freestyle S6

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