Audrey Pascual

Spanish sport has a new star: Audrey Pascual (San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, 2004). In Milan-Cortina, home to the recent Winter Paralympics, she stepped onto the podium on four occasions: two golds (super-G and super combined), one silver (downhill), and one bronze (slalom). At just 21! Anyone would feel a bit overwhelmed after achieving such a feat and becoming the focus of attention of an entire country, but this skier is made of sterner stuff and seems “delighted.” In fact, she spoke to us after receiving the award for Best Female Athlete of the Year at the Sports Merit Awards granted by the city council of her hometown. The city where she does her training, Granada, has also showered her with praise: Sierra Nevada has named its adaptive skiing facility after her, the city council has awarded her the Gold Medal of Merit, and her University of Granada has bestowed upon her the distinction Estrella de las Nieves [Star of the Snow]. Known for the colour of her now iconic mono-ski, the pink bullet, these will not be the last accolades she receives.

Born without tibias due to a rare congenital malformation called bilateral agenesis, she had both legs amputated at the age of nine. From an early age, Audrey was determined to do what everyone else did, in her own way, and that’s how skiing came into her life shortly after her surgery. “It allows me to be completely independent. When I ski, I can go wherever I want on my own and keep up with my family and friends. I’m actually faster [laughs]. I love that. What started as a hobby became a part of my life,” she says. Her parents’ support has been key: “They understood that I’m like anyone else, that I can fall and get back up again as many times as needed. We’re no more fragile than anyone else, nor do we get hurt more easily. There’s no need to be afraid of falling.” In fact, a fall during the giant slalom made us hold our breath and kept her from winning five medals. A few days later, after a short hospital stay, this skier completed her collection with a bronze medal in slalom. “Talent is the result of hard work and sacrifice,” says Audrey, a living example of this.

How does it feel to have become a legend of Spanish sport at the tender age of 21?
I couldn’t be happier, but it is also a bit of a shock. It’s something I dreamt of, and for it to have come true is incredible. It’s been years of hard work, telling myself over and over: “I want to go to the Games, I want to go to the Games, I want to go to the Games.” I really enjoyed them, which was also very important to me, and I left Milan-Cortina with a smile on my face.

“I want to use this platform to encourage people with disabilities, especially children, to try adaptive skiing”

And what has getting back to your routine been like?
I haven’t fully returned to it yet because it’s still crazy, but I’m really looking forward to going back to classes in the mornings, the gym in the afternoons, and spending weekends with my friends, which is also very important to me, and I haven’t had many chances to do that this season. I’m very grateful for the interest, and I want to use this platform to encourage people with disabilities, especially children, to try adaptive skiing.

You started skiing at the age of 11. When did you realize the potential and talent you possessed?
At my first international competition, I made it onto the podium, and that’s when I thought I might be good at it. Beyond that, I realized that I loved competing and that I wanted to keep going. Fundación También supported me from the very beginning, so thanks to them, I continued competing. I’m very stubborn, and it was what I wanted to do.

On her pink monoski, Audrey Pascual starred in some of the most iconic moments of the last Games. © CPE

You’ve confessed that your relationship with skiing wasn’t love at first sight. Why?
The first time I didn’t like it very much because it felt like I was going to depend on someone else for help. It’s also true that it was my first day and I had no idea how to ski. I was very slow, I felt like a package being carried around. I like speed, feeling that freedom, that adrenaline, and at that moment, skiing didn’t give me that. When I got home, my mother told me I had nothing to lose if I gave it a second chance. The next time I had a different instructor, one who better understood my restlessness. He let me ski on my own and I started falling down; touching the ground, getting up, and trying again gave me life. I loved it!

When you’re speeding down a mountain slope at over 100 km/h, what goes through your mind?
You’re going so fast that nothing really happens. You have to keep a cool head and stay focused on what you have to do. You can’t stop to think because skiing requires flow. It’s instinctive; in fact, you work on making it something that comes naturally —we call it being in a state of flow. If your mind starts racing, nothing goes right.

“I knew people with disabilities, but I never had a role model. My role models, in a manner of speaking, were my cousins and my friends because I wanted to do the same things they did”

From a young age, you looked for other ways to do the same things as everyone else. Is never saying no to yourself one of the keys to your success?
As I was saying, I’ve always been very stubborn, and that’s what has brought me to where I am now. I knew people with disabilities, but I never had a role model. My role models, in a manner of speaking, were my cousins and my friends because I wanted to do the same things they did. For example, when my friends would skateboard down the hills in my neighbourhood, instead of standing, I’d ride sitting down. I’ve always found my own way of doing things. When I was little, I wasn’t afraid of anything; now I’m a bit more level-headed. I like going really fast and feeling my heart race… It’s something that’s in my blood. That’s also why I love surfing.

Audrey Pascual bagged two golds, a silver and a bronze thanks to her breathtaking runs. © CPE

The Spanish national team in Milan-Cortina was very young, and experts say it has a bright future. As its flag bearer, do you agree that you have more than enough talent?
Yes. We went with a very young team, which wasn’t planned because some athletes qualified at the last minute. We’ll attend the next Games with an even stronger team. We needed to boost the presence of women, and we’ve achieved that. We weren’t all together in the same village because there were different venues, but we still bonded, supported each other, and had a wonderful time.

Surfing, as you mentioned, is your other great passion. If that sport were to be included in the Summer Paralympics programme, do you see yourself competing?
Of course! In fact, I’ve already put skiing on hold for the summer. I’ll continue training at the gym, but I want to focus on surfing because I love it. I hope I can qualify for this year’s World Championships. And if Paralympic surfing were to be included in the Summer Games programme, I would love to be there.