Fighting for glory after losing everything because of a leaky roof

BeijingShe had the season planned out, but a leak turned everything upside down. Marina Tomàs, a skater in the dance and small show categories at the Figueres Artistic Skating Club, was injured at the beginning of this season during official training for the first championship. solo dance"There was a leak in the pavilion and I slipped. My first thought was: get up, the training minutes are ticking by and you don't have time to waste. But when I tried and saw that my foot wasn't responding, I realized the situation was serious and I wouldn't be able to compete that day." I went into shock.

Once at the doctor's, he learned that he had broken his fibula and the deltoid ligament in his ankle. However, Marina says that the hardest part came a few days later, when her boss started to accept the season ahead and everything that this injury, which occurred at the beginning of the season, would entail. "It was harder psychologically than physically. I got stuck in a loop. I felt like skating was a part of my life. My emotions were tied to how training went that day. So, if there was no training, I was in a deep depression," Tomàs admits.

However, the Figueres native realized she wasn't facing the situation alone. "I felt very supported. At times, I noticed my family was having a harder time than I was. They were frustrated at not being able to do anything," admits the Empordà native. Beyond her family, Marina also relied on her team: "Their support was a light. They made me feel like I was still part of the group, even though I couldn't be on the ice on competition days," she recalls. That feeling gave her great motivation, because she kept going to training and was just as excited as in other seasons. "On championship days, I woke up with the same enthusiasm as when I could be on the ice skating. I also had complete faith in them. I was nervous, but I knew they would give it their all," she adds.

The support of those around her was fundamental in a very quick recovery process, less than four months. However, Marina's discipline and desire to return to the rink were equally important: "I tried never to stop. I did exercises at home with my leg raised, and when they let me walk, I always asked the doctor what the limit was. If he said 500 meters, I measured 500 meters. Nothing less." Marina is a person who thrives on challenges. She needs to give her best, set goals, and feel that enormous satisfaction when she achieves them. And she did no different with her injury. When the professionals allowed her to go running, she went, with the goal of regaining the best possible shape before lacing up her skates again. Her teammates had accumulated a lot of training, and she didn't want to be left behind.

Fulfilling a dream in Beijing

At first, when he was injured, Tomàs expected to miss the entire season. In figure skating, a season has five major competitions: one open —divided into two semifinals in the case of the shows—, a Catalan championship, a Spanish championship, a European championship, and a World Championship. It was impossible to have recovered her peak performance by May, when the European Championship was held in Zaragoza, so she considered the season lost because PA Figueres had never qualified for a World Championship. But this year, for the first time in history, the club has achieved it. And Marina has been able to go: "When I found out, I had mixed feelings: on the one hand, I was a little apprehensive, thinking that perhaps I hadn't earned it as much as they had, but on the other hand, I thought that even if it was in a different way, I had also been part of the team," she explains.

For the skater, the months leading up to the competition in Beijing, which will take place this Thursday at 10:30 a.m., have required a great deal of mental preparation. "As you compete in championships, you gradually climb the ladder. But suddenly, I have to climb them all. Psychologically, you're not prepared; it's like jumping into the pool," she admits. To cope with the pressure the situation brings, she has worked to feel confident in her training and has placed her trust in her team. All of this combined with endless hours on the ice, striving for perfection in every practice.

For many skaters, this championship is the last of the year, but for her, it will be the first. And she's clear that she wants to surpass herself: "I can't talk about qualifying goals because that depends on the others, but I want to nail the skate, be very satisfied with the result, and at least fight for the top positions," Tomàs confesses. Challenge noted. This week we'll find out if the skater can add another tick to her list of achievements. However, for now, it's safe to say that the season that seemed lost has ended with a world championship debut at 23.