Paralympic Swimmer Teresa Perales becomes Fundación Telefónica Ambassador

Teresa Perales and Fundación Telefónica have signed an agreement for global collaboration for the next two years, with Perales becoming the face and ambassador of the foundation. This athlete represents the values of commitment, overcoming adversity, entrepreneurship and vision for the future that Fundación Telefónica fully embarces and strives for every day through its employability, education, cultural action and volunteering programmes.

Teresa Perales has one challenge left: to be number one at the Paralympics in Rio in 2016 and fulfil her dream of beating a personal and world record. Nobody knows how to achieve goals better than her, something she demonstrated at 10 when she suffered a neurological illness affected mobility in her legs and she decided to adapt to the new situation, turn her life around and dedicate herself to paralympic swimming. Fundación Telefónica will support her in her professional career and adopt her challenge as its own. So in 2016 she returns with the maximum number of medals for Spain.

Until September 2016, when the Paralympics will be held in Rio de Janerio, Fundación Telefónica will support and accompany Teresa Perales in her dream of winning her 23rd medal and becoming the first Spaniard to beat this record. Now, 20 years after dedicating herself to competing professionally in swimming, she is one of the best Spanish athletes with the most awards in Spain’s history.

Her impressive list of accomplishments include equalling Michael Phelp’s 22 medals in 2012, and beating 7 Spanish records and 5 world records. Fundación Telefónica will provide her with resources, logistical support and a team to be by her side so that she can continue getting herself ready for her fifth Paralympic Games. She will compete in paralympic category S5, in up to five different disciplines.

Telefónica is the longest-standing sponsor of the Spanish Paralympic team. It began its support in 1997 for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. When Plan ADOP was created, Telefónica was one of the founding companies. Since then, Telefónica has spent 18 years supporting paralympic athletes in their professional careers.

It has also been committed to young Spanish sporting talent for years. Through the Podium programme, it awards 80 grants for 80 promising young people in 22 Olympic disciplines. Thanks to the successes achieved as part of the Podium Programme, some of these athletes have already obtained the achievements and requirements to become part of the ADO Programme and will be able to participate in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. They will compete in disciplines like taekwondo, swimming, rowing and sailing, among others.