ALEIX GARCÍA, 2000, SPAIN
Silver medal in the men's double sculls at the World Rowing Championships 2022
Silver medal in the men's double sculls at the I Rowing World Cup 2023, silver medal at the European Rowing Championships 2022.
What is the main trait of your character?
Illusion, when there is something that I am really passionate about and I want to achieve it, I go for it with all my strength and without thinking about how complicated it is. The illusion together with the visualization and conviction help me to get anything forward no matter how difficult it is.
Has it influenced your sports career?
Yes, from a very young age. I never stood out much in my beginnings, but the illusion and the conviction to achieve my goals have led me to the athlete I am today.
What virtue do you wish you had?
Self-control, I would like to be able to control my emotions more and think less about unimportant thoughts.
A fun fact about you.
I am quite clumsy, since I was very young my nerves combined with how clumsy I am have sometimes led me to have a huge collection of bruises and I have even broken my teeth on two different occasions.
Do you have a motto for life?
Find something you like and be the best.
Your second favorite sport.
Soccer.
Three athletes you admire.
Rafael Nadal, Leo Messi and Michael Phelps.
What is the sporting milestone you remember most?
To be runner-up of the absolute world championship in 2022.
How did you become a fan of your sport?
Since I was very small I was a soccer player in the club of my town and when I was going to make the leap to infantile the team was dissolved for lack of players, we tried to save it but there was no way. At that time two of my neighbors combined soccer with rowing and always spoke quite well of it, so I decided to try it motivated by doing a water sport and that was out of the conventional.
Who helped you the most to achieve your sports dream?
My whole environment in general, behind our successes there is a huge team working behind us so that we can achieve our maximum performance. From the moral support of my family and friends to all the technical work of coaches, trainers, physiotherapists and the federation in general.
Your greatest achievement?
To be runner-up in the absolute world championship.
And your worst failure?
Being left out of the Olympics or some A finals at the Worlds has been hard for me, but I have never considered them a failure because they have helped me to achieve more important results later on.
What has the sport taught you for life?
Among many of the values I have acquired is perseverance. You have to sacrifice and fight for what you want.
How would you like fans to remember you?
As a great athlete, but above all, as a good person.
What is the biggest challenge in your sport?
To be an Olympic champion.
What is the most important aspect of any training?
Focus and motivation. Knowing at all times what the priority of each workout is and keeping in mind what my goal is, because there is a big difference between doing a workout motivated and eager to do it passively.
Do you have any rituals or hobbies before a competition?
No, throughout my career I have removed all the rituals and manias I had because I think they can only affect negatively, in sport there are a thousand external factors that can affect us indirectly (such as rain or a sudden tummy ache) and we have to be able to continue with our regatta plan despite them.
What role has your upbringing played in your sports career?
It has helped me to be more disciplined, to be able to carry out a dual career you have to organize yourself very well and be faithful to your routine. That can be applied to life and training later on.
And what role has sport played in your education?
In being persistent, in helping me to choose what I really like and want to be in the future to fight for it.
A tip for the younger ones.
To dream, to fight and above all to try to enjoy every moment as much as possible.