Iberia Talento a bordo Team

On the 8^th of August of 2021, the flame of the Olympic cauldron in Tokyo was extinguished. An ending for the athletes on the new Iberia Talento a bordo Team which became the once upon a time of a story of hard work, perseverance and overcoming, at the take-off point of a journey that Niko Shera (judo), Adriana Cerezo (taekwondo), Diego García Carrera (athletics), Sarai Gascón (Paralympic swimming), Alberto Ginés (sports climbing), Antía Jácome (canoeing), Silvia Mas (sailing), Irene Sánchez-Escribano (athletics), Hugo González de Oliveira (swimming), Ray Zapata (gymnastics), Rodrigo Conde (rowing) and Gerard Descarrega (Paralympic athletics) have shared thanks to Iberia’s support. Now, just a few weeks before landing in Paris, is the première of Iberia Talento a bordo Team. Next destination: Paris. Where? At Espacio Iberia (C/ Gran Vía, 48) and with an exceptional mentor: Pau Gasol, Iberia’s ambassador for cultural change.

The documentary shows the everyday life of these elite athletes who, far from the most high-profile disciplines, fight to make their dream come true: taking part in the Paris Games. To achieve it, they must also undergo gruelling training sessions, and some of them have had to overcome serious injuries. Niko Shera tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, but after nine months not competing, he came back on top by winning a European bronze medal; Ray Zapata suffered a hamstring injury that worsened, going from two weeks to two months of recovery; Gerard Descarrega tore his Achilles heel just seven months before the Games, but he’s still fighting to reach the Paralympics and give the best version of himself... Physical blows that also affect their state of mind, making mental health another hot topic for the team.

The journey towards the Games is full of sad times, like the aforementioned, but also happy moments that make up for all that sacrifice. During this cycle, the athletes on the Iberia Talento a bordo Team have continued to improve their track record: Hugo González de Oliveira won the World Championship (200 metres back), Adriana Cerezo European Championship (-49 kg), Diego García Carrera European bronze (20 km race walking), Antía Jácome came second three times at the World Championship (C1 200, C2 200 and C2 500), Sarai Gascón won the European Championship (100 metres freestyle S9), Rodrigo Conde came second in the World Championship (double scull), etc. Successes they have achieved alongside their personal lives, whether studying, being parents for the second time, becoming town councillor of their municipalities, launching their own business projects, or reaching peaks while being blind.

Iberia, another teammate
The athletes on the Iberia Talento a bordo Team have received ongoing support from the airline, specifically a monthly grant, easier flights, and a platform on its channels. Throughout the seven episodes, the series The Goal: Paris showed team members in their training centres and brought them together in pairs to share their feelings while prepping for the Games. They were also individually interviewed for the Talento a bordo website. Also, in 2023, Iberia collaborated with Silvia Mas and Ray Zapata for its new onboard safety video and, in 2024, the company flew all the members to Paris, an action that served to introduce a new member: Marcus Cooper (canoeing), a firm favourite to be the flag bearer of the Spanish delegation in the French capital. Iberia Talento a bordo Team. Next destination: Paris caps off a unique journey whose goal is to take Spanish sport to the top. Because by connecting talent, we promote sports.