Luis Enrique's daughter dreams of becoming an Olympic athlete

BarcelonaSira Martínez (Barcelona, ​​​​2000) knows that everyone will ask her about her father. She accepts it, but whenever she can, she steers the conversation where she wants. "They say I have his character," she says jokingly, referring to Luis Enrique Martínez. She's interested in horses and equestrianism. What seemed like a crazy passion as a child has now become the focus of her life, as she competes in some of the most important competitions. She has won Spanish championships and still wants more. Just like dad.

The last few weeks have been special. On Monday the 22nd, Sira was in Paris to receive the Socrates Award. at the Ballon d'Or gala, an award given to the Xana Foundation, created by the family to support families with sons and daughters with serious illnesses. The foundation of which Sira is a patron and remembers Xana, her younger sister, who died of osteosarcoma in 2019. Afterwards, Barça-PSG, with both clubs auctioning off shirts to raise funds and PSG playing with the Foundation's logo on their backs. "These are special moments for the family. The Foundation supports parents in difficult times, and seeing the work they do recognized is emotional," explains Sira, who was present in the Montjuïc stands. "I'm a Barça fan to the death, right? But above all, I want my father to win," she admitted. And PSG won.

And this weekend brings the final round of the CSIO Barcelona tournament. "We have it in Barcelona, and that's a stroke of luck," says Martínez about one of the most important show jumping competitions. The show jumping competition organized by the Real Club de Polo is "the oldest international sporting event in Spain," 113 years old. It will also host the 12th consecutive edition of the Nations League final, with the eight best teams in the world in action. The Nations Cup will feature a Catalan team, Osona's Imma Roquet. Martínez will participate in the CSIO competition with young, nervous horses. "It's my favorite competition," says Martínez, who has already been selected for the Spanish national team in international tournaments. Her results have been improving. Reaching the Olympic Games? She smiles and admits she would like to.

Like so many girls and boys, Sira was fascinated by horses. "As a child in Asturias, I would see horses on mountain rides when we went to see family. And I wanted to go up. Then I kept insisting that a schoolmate in Barcelona was a horse rider. My parents let me, but they told me about playing tennis. When we lived at home and her father coached this team—her father coached this team—they signed me up. I could go alone, and that was a key moment," explains this young woman who has won the Spanish show jumping championship, although she has also experienced difficult moments such as falls and injuries.

Equestrianism is a different sport. "Yes, it's expensive," she explains, not hiding her good fortune in having a family like hers, with "the financial means" to help her. It's also a sport in which athletes can compete until they're 50 or 60, which excites a woman who wants to remain connected to horses for life. And a sport in which the animal is more important than the rider. "When you ride, you need to convey security and confidence. The important thing is to understand each other. If the horse isn't having a good time, you can't do it. You have to create a bond with them every day," she reasons. Everyone who works with animals always explains that they're very intelligent. Sira is clear about this. And, in fact, she's confident she can dedicate her entire life to a sport where, in the early years, more women than men practice it. But as the years go by, most women give up. It's a matter of society, where it often seems that being a mother will no longer allow you to continue doing the things you want.

"I love this sport, I love my horses. It's an expensive sport, and at first my parents gave me strange looks... but I was persistent and I've shown that I was serious, being disciplined enough to compete," she says. Does she have her father's character, perhaps? "Yes, they say so. From him, I've learned to be hard-working, consistent, and to know that you have to overcome difficult times. That you have to fight hard in life. I admire him as a father and as an athlete, for everything he's done. I'm competitive like him," she says.