This week, Maria Petit (Vilassar de Mar, 1992) will return to Chamonix to participate in one of the UTMB races, the prestigious Mont Blanc mountain race. She was there last year and is now returning to compete in the 15 km race with 1,200 m of elevation gain, a category "so tough and technical that it feels like more than 15 km," she explains. "At first glance, it might seem short, but it's a demanding race, especially since two weeks ago I participated in Sierre-Zinal," she tells ARA, referring to an iconic mountain marathon in Switzerland. If undertaking these challenges is already complicated enough for most athletes, it's even more so in her case, as Maria Petit is blind. At 17, she completely lost her sight and sense of smell due to a motorcycle accident. Now, she climbs mountains by running, leaving many athletes participating in the same races astonished and bewildered to see a blind person ascending the mountain.

Jordi Tosas, an experienced mountaineer who has seen it all, was rubbing his eyes. A few days ago, he was tasked with being the adventure partner of Pol Makuri, the athlete with disabilities who wanted to climb Mont Blanc. He wanted to, and he succeeded. Makuri completed the ascent from the Tête Rousse refuge, a 14-kilometer stretch with 2,800 meters of elevation gain, in less than 12 hours. "It was impressive guiding him through all my fears and doubts, especially on the descent," says Tosas.