The 25 players from Girona who have scored in 2025

GironaThey have made a significant contribution, they have a powerful, inspiring, and sometimes little-known story. They all share the commonality of being from the Girona region—or living there—and they have appeared in the pages of the newspaper, recognized by readers, making their articles the most read of the day. They are the 25 people from Girona who have shaped our 2025 and who also The first ARA awards have been presented in Girona, those of the clever foxWe didn't want to award celebrities who would give visibility to the awards, but rather for the awards themselves to do the work. celebrities inconspicuous characters. In 2023 We begin this compilation with 23 names, and In 2024 we chose the Girona natives as the revelationSince then, the jury has been the readers.

These are the 25 people from Girona who have made their mark in 2025:

Girona Since 2025, it has a new cycling temple.But it's also a restored historic theater in the city. This is the Odeon, owned by Miquel Casals, who in recent years has been using his own resources to restore a valuable piece of heritage that was deteriorating and would have been ruined. He has done so to reproduce the 19th-century theater as faithfully as possible. For this reason, he has worked with artisans such as the foundry in Cassà de la Selva, to name just one example. Casals has been fortunate to have tenants who have committed to leasing the space to him for the next 25 years: the Velòdrom company, represented by Miquel Tràfach.

"With her breasts exposed," literally and metaphorically, is how the writer Núria Esponellà has lived through the breast cancer she was diagnosed with in October 2023. Literally because mammograms, digital examinations, radiotherapy sessions, radiotherapy sessions... have demanded it, as she explains in her latest book, precisely titled With her breasts exposed, Through illness, she has learned to value the essential things and to shed her defenses. and overcoming limiting thoughts to feel free and love herself and her body. Author of a dozen novels, Esponellà has given us this year a book that is a testament to the pain she has suffered, but also to the courage and positivity with which she has faced her illness, with the help of complementary therapies and, especially, contact with nature.

Like runners in relay races, Samuel Mir gathers the stories of his father-in-law, Isca García, a fisherman from Cadaqués, and also of Benido Descamps and Moisès Tibau, the only two fishermen still working in Cadaqués, besides Samu himself, of course. Life's circumstances, including love, have led him to a tough profession that fewer and fewer people want to take up, for many different reasons. But Samu isn't alone: in addition to his father-in-law, he knows he can count on Benido and Moisés, who are helping him with his trade, which he started about three years ago. With Samu, Cadaqués is assured of a continued supply of fresh fish.

At the Dictum bookstore, which opened five years ago in Banyoles, Shahzaib Khan (known to everyone as Miquel) breaks stereotypes. Not only because, as he says, He must be "the only immigrant of Pakistani origin who has opened a bookstore instead of a grocery store""But also because, unlike most Pakistani immigrants, in his establishment—as in every aspect of his daily life—he always speaks Catalan. Out of conviction, because he believes that "every immigrant should learn the language of their host country," and because he believes that no Catalan should switch to Spanish when addressed in that language. Despite the fact that Kashmiri culture "is looked down upon by the rest of Pakistan," Shahzaib is an example of integration."

In 1980, they created two Catalan immersion schools and a radio station, Ràdio Arrels, which has always used the Catalan language; all interviewees have had to speak it, including Manuel Valls when he was a minister. They have helped many northern Catalans overcome their embarrassment and dare to speak the language of their ancestors. Almost 45 years after its creation, the Arrels association is going through its most delicate moment due to the budget cuts being implemented in the French state. Ràdio Arrels is a modest yet vital community structure in the northern Albera region, and it deserves to be remembered by the south during these difficult times.

Checking his blood sugar and injecting insulin. This is the first thing Pau Ribas does every day since being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 21. Throughout the day, he has to inject insulin again, between four and ten times, and he must adjust his dose according to what he plans to eat. He also has to calculate the amount of carbohydrates in each food item or meal to prevent his blood glucose levels from spiking. This need for constant calculation and the fear of not doing it correctly and suffering potentially fatal consequences create pressure and an emotional burden for people with diabetes. To help alleviate this anxiety, Pau Ribas has created an innovative technology called DAIA, based on artificial intelligence, which, as Pau says, a "smart friend" for diabetics. A friend who provides emotional support and helps them with daily decisions to manage their illness. Pau's invention has been awarded first prize at the Impulsa Start Awards of the Girona Chamber of Commerce.

Five years ago, her father, the Garrotxa businessman Eudald Morera, created the Vallviva festival while seriously ill with cancer. Those around him told him he should focus on his health, but he insisted on creating an initiative to thank life for what it had given him. Vallviva is a charity festival that grows year after year, and all its proceeds go to cancer research. Just over a year ago, Eudald Morera passed away, and his daughter Mireia has taken up the mantle to ensure that her father's initiative continues, just as he would have wanted. Next year's edition already boasts headliners such as Ana Torroja, Antonio Orozco, and Terapia de Shock.

Why did Maria Branyas, from Olot, known as the "Catalan supercentenarian," live to 117 and maintain good health almost until the end? The ARA (Aragonese Association of Supercentenarians) published the results of a multi-omics study conducted on Maria Branyas, the most comprehensive ever performed on a supercentenarian, providing invaluable information to explain her extraordinary longevity. From Girona, specifically from the Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), physician and researcher Xavier Aldeguer, coordinator of the digestive and microbiota research area, shared the most striking information from the study: Maria Branyas had a gut microbiota more typical of a child than of a person over one hundred years oldFor Aldeguer and his team, the discovery opens the door to creating prebiotic patterns associated with longevity.

For almost thirty years they were a foster family, taking in children while the situation of both the child and their biological family is being assessed. Their placements usually last a few months, although they once fostered a child for three years. Regardless of the length of time, living together inevitably leads to the formation of emotional bonds. This is especially true with Àngels Cros and Agustí Gambarte—her partner—who are kind, down-to-earth people, the kind who act without any regard for the consequences. I like that they may receive, or that is known or not. For them, it's better if it's not known. They have been—or acted as—parents to 21 children, 19 adopted and two biological. An example of solidarity and love.

On one of the walls of the old Estrella Damm factory in Barcelona, ​​next to where Josefina Espinosa lived, a large piece of graffiti asked: "Where is Andreu Nin?" It was the 1940s, and Josefina, then a child, came across that inscription every day, unaware that Andreu Nin, about whom she knew nothing at the time, would later become her father-in-law, though she would never meet him. Josefina's life, her marriage to Carles Simó, the son of the Marxist revolutionary Andreu Nin, who was murdered by the Franco regime and who died years later in a plane crash, and the death of the couple's son as a teenager, among other experiences, are recounted in the documentary. Land, released this year. It also recounts the upheaval Josefina experienced when she moved to Girona forty years ago, a city where she immersed herself in theater, art, and above all, poetry, which has helped her so much to overcome the sadness she carried within. However, she still has a thorn in her heart because Andreu Nin's body has not yet been recovered. Josefina says: "They haven't even had the decency to search for the remains and return them to the family; there's no interest, but we We will not stop asking where Andreu Nin is..

Who in Girona hasn't been to Nyigui-Nyogui at some point? In the midst of the Transition, on Mercaders street in the Barri Vell, a shop was born that became the Mecca for everyone who wanted to buy or give something original and groundbreaking. Rosa Maria Sais was the heart and soul of the workshop and the shop.Rosa Maria Sais, a beloved entrepreneur, craftswoman, and feminist with boundless energy, will soon celebrate the 50th anniversary of her shop's founding—a testament to living with passion and leaving a lasting impact on everyone around her. Known as Múnia to her family, she was the official herald of the recent Spring Festival, and in an interview with ARA, she recalled being born under an iron bed while bombs rained down on Girona on January 23, 1939.

A musical group formed by two students from the Esmuc (Catalan Music School), one from Sant Feliu de Guíxols (Anna Sala) and the other from Ibiza (Lara Magrinyà), united by an extremely original and interesting musical project that fuses folk tradition with electronic music, operatic singing, and improvisation. They first began by setting to music the verses of the writer Toni Sala, Anna Sala's father, and then ventured into... to set to music the short stories (not poems) of Mercè RodoredaThey are now working on the recovery of redoubled song, originally from the Balearic Islands.

Amin Boudhen and his brothers Anuar and Yaser have created a bright and airy tea room, Moul' Dhen, in the Urbis building, in the multicultural transition zone between Girona and Salt. And it's not just surprising because of its delicious food, but because it will be the only Moroccan venue with a female majorityAmin states: "Moroccan women feel comfortable here, and they aren't judged like in other places." They have 40% Moroccan clients (clients!), 20% Catalan clients, and the rest from other nationalities. More examples like theirs are needed to help women's emancipation and the conquest of new spaces of freedom.

Three years ago, we met Lorraine Jarvis in one of Girona's trendy cycling cafes. Of Californian descent, she told us quite clearly: "Please don't speak to me in Spanish, speak to me in Catalan." Now living in Ravós del Terri, in the Pla de l'Estany region, she's been determined since the pandemic to blend in. And that's why she's only learning Catalan. Upon meeting her, we wondered: How many more Lorraine Jarvi women are there in Girona? Nina Lannan is another example of this phenomenon. After a lifetime in New York, she has been living in Girona for three years and is already ready to lead a Catalan conversation group. She worked for many years as a producer on Broadway, but considers herself passionate about languages. She learned Catalan so she could read Montserrat Roig, Jaume Cabré, and Mercè Rodoreda. She understands the need to learn Catalan to be able to make an impact on the community. And, if necessary, to be able to complain about garbage collection.

In 2025, Ingrid Guardiola concluded her tenure as director of the Bòlit Contemporary Art Center in Girona, four years after assuming the position. During this time, Guardiola revitalized the Girona-based contemporary art museum, opening it up to the public and offering a series of exhibitions by diverse artists, all with a powerful and sophisticated message, addressing current issues such as stereotypes. monster woman, drilling into the earth to obtain fossil resources or the air pollutionDespite the positive reception of the proposals, Guardiola has decided to leave her post and not opt for the two-year extension, satisfied with the project but also exhausted by everything. bureaucracy and the protocols to follow when in charge of a public facility of this magnitude.

Jordi Bofill, who delights us with his moving and well-researched chronicles about Girona, described him as "the neighbor from the Birba biscuit factory who defies the invisibility of Girona's youth academy." He has received the ARA award for being the first goalscorer of the season and an example for young footballers in the Girona region. And, of course, to give greater visibility to a squad that still has much to offer. It is an example of a job well done, with effort and modesty.And finally, because the award Bussoga designed, a "Clever Fox," suits him perfectly. There's no one more cunning in the penalty area than a goalscorer like him.

A journalist by training, originally from Córdoba and with extensive experience in cultural management in Barcelona, He has been directing the Municipal Theatre of Girona for four years and has shaken up the city's performing arts scene. Its influence is felt at the Municipal Theatre, but above all in the streets, with a public program, often free, that brings not only theatre, but also dance, circus, and more to people of all ages. performanceHis project has been "to inhabit the theatre," and he has achieved it: the Municipal Theatre has ceased to be just a lively place for Temporada Alta and the Pastorets season to have a wide program throughout the year close to all the people of Girona.

The Col·lectiu Ilitia works to rediscover the hundreds or thousands of stolen children during the Franco regime – and even in more recent times. The award is received by Josep Comas, a member of the group and author of the book One hundred years and an absenceDedicated to his centenarian mother (now nearly 101 years old), this work recounts in detail the theft of his brother and sixth child at the moment of birth in November 1965. Girona Alliance ClinicThe Col·lectiu Ilitia brings together families whose babies were stolen at the time of birth and who, after so many years, confirm that the procedure and the medical professionals involved were practically always the same.

Born out of the great refugee crisis in the Mediterranean almost ten years ago, Girona Acull works primarily to welcome and support migrants and to advocate for social change. Currently, one of its main tasks is supporting unaccompanied migrant children and young people and denouncing the insufficient commitment of government agencies to them. ARA investigative journalist Albert Llimós published an extensive report on Fa and Ba, of Gambian origin: the Prosecutor's Office questioned the age of their passport and they were expelled from supervised centers. Now the courts have just ruled in their favor.and we have also explained it in Girona Regions.

Remedio de Ca la Fresca (Xantal, Iago, Artur and Víctor) They speak and sing what they think without fear. They have been a breath of fresh air or a hurricane of revolt for Catalan rock. They make good songs against capitalism, against the exploitation of Montseny's resources (the world's water that is taken by bottling companies), against the large metal recycling plant near their homes, against the arrogance and complacency of certain politicians, or in support of the Palestinian cause, long before this movement became mainstream. They want to influence politics Because they know that everything is politics, especially not getting involved in politics.

On December 1, 2024, a little over a year ago, Yolanda Vilalta Ibáñez She created the group Mujeres Valentes de Olot after a long period of feeling "at rock bottom"She had gotten divorced and felt the need to create a space of sisterhood, full of women who lived alone: whether divorced like her, single, or widowed. Since then, Dones Valentes de la Garrotxa (Brave Women of La Garrotxa) has grown exponentially, with many different types of women finding a safe space, a place of trust, and above all, lots of laughter. On its first anniversary, it has become a large, diverse community that is being replicated in other regions to find allies so they "never feel alone."

Antoni Rossell Terris died in February 2025, at the age of 88, in Sant Hilari Sacalm, La Selva. When his will was made public, the whole town learned that he had earned all the money he had accumulated during his lifetime. I would leave them at the Anton Busquets and Punset Institute So that young people from Hilares can study and enjoy a quality education. Rossell Terris, who had no children but many nephews and nieces, learned the tailoring trade at a young age, making a fortune, but never had the opportunity to pursue higher education; a regret he wanted to rectify through this donation, thinking of future generations. The contribution will result in four annual scholarships of 5,000 euros for second-year high school students: three will be awarded for the highest grades in Catalan language and literature, and one for academic excellence. Judit Rossell, his niece and executor of the estate, accepted the award.

You'll surely recognize his face, as he's acted in numerous TV3 series, but few will know about the illness that left him without his sense of smell after the pandemic and has changed his life. Neto, a perfumer, Ernesto Collado managed to recover his sense of smell through olfactory walks. around Pontós, in the Alt Empordà region, where he lives. Six months later, one day, the scent of rosemary enveloped him. Now it's the symbol of Bravanariz perfumes, a brand that has entered the high-end market with 100% natural essences. This year, 2025, has completed its transformation with the publication of the book Smell (Cosetania), a manifesto to reclaim one of the most neglected senses: smell. This is what it advocates for in the olfactory walks at Mas Flequer, a space in Cantallops where you can rediscover the aroma of the Mediterranean scrubland at the foot of the Albera mountains.

In recent years, the Bar of the Salt Theatre It has become a true social hub where, alongside the theater's regular programming, all kinds of cultural and popular events are organized. Each week features stand-up comedy nights, concerts, DJ sets, book presentations, and exhibitions. Last September, they even organized their own festival, Random. All of this has revitalized a historic space in Salta and solidified a local audience that had been missing something like this. It's no longer just the bar where people grab a drink on theater nights; over time, it has established itself as a vibrant venue that complements and enriches the neighborhood's cultural scene. At the helm of all this activity is Pere Calderón, who took over management of the establishment three and a half years ago.

Maria José Garbí and Domingo Jamás opened Voramar in Portbou many years ago, and the whole family has ended up working there. Their son Pau and son-in-law Guillermo Gavilán are in the kitchen. Their daughter Miriam is the head of service and sommelier. Domingo continues in the kitchen, and Maria José helps in the dining room and has an essential role for the restaurant to run smoothly: she looks after the grandchildren. The establishment used to be much simpler, and one summer this family got fed up with working so hard, but once the season was over, they had barely made any money. They decided that couldn't continue. "We didn't want to get involved in the price war, and we had the training to do more," says Gavilán. In 2025 they won and retained their first Michelin star.