Óscar Onrubia: "I seemed destined for an unhappy life, but the opposite has happened to me."

BarcelonaÓscar Onrubia (Barcelona, ​​2000) recently became European wheelchair basketball champion after leading the Spanish national team to the finals in Sarajevo. Born in the La Mina neighborhood of Sant Adrià de Besòs, he suffered from meningococcal sepsis as a child, which resulted in a double tibial amputation and the loss of fingers. But Óscar isn't one of those people born to be idle. This neighborhood, which carries a stigma, became the backdrop for his story, where he fell in love with sports and music. A lover of film and tattoos, he is now one of the best players in Europe. He receives the call from ARA in Albacete, where he lives and shines with Amiab Albacete, the champion of the Adapted Basketball Champions League.

What went through your mind during the last play of the European Championship final against England, when they had two three-pointers to tie the game?

— So I thought, I wish there was something up there, some divine magic or anything beyond our reach that would help us a little, you know? Because there comes a point when they're shooting completely on their own, and there's nothing you can do. As a physical being, you can't reach it anymore. Then there are only two options: that they make it or that they miss. And you desperately hope the ball doesn't go in. Because if it hadn't gone in at that moment, we would have been European champions.

What does this gold medal mean?

— Everything. The English are the best teams in the world. And we'd already lost two European finals against them, one in Poland, where they completely dominated us, and another in the Netherlands, which was closer. So, to reach the tournament final undefeated, with a generational shift and young players on the court, and to beat our main rival is a dream come true. It's something we honestly didn't expect a while ago, but with hard work and perseverance, we've achieved it.

You were key in many games, deciding the outcome with important baskets and earning a spot on the tournament's All-Star Five. Are you currently playing your best football?

— Well, the truth is that I'm very happy individually, but I want to highlight the teamwork. Ultimately, I've been able to achieve everything I have thanks to the work of all my colleagues. Thanks to all the late-night chats, talking about those insecurities we had to work through.

And at that moment, when you already have the gold medal around your neck, who do you think of? Because there are different people in your career who have been important: your family, coaches like Abraham Carrión or Oscar Trigo…

— Well, to be honest... At that moment, there's no room for many people. There's only room for the triumph. The nostalgic part comes a little later, an hour after you start thinking about all the people who have been there for you. My family, my friends, my partner, all those veteran players who have been with me for so long... I also remembered when I was little. The first image that immediately came to mind was the Spanish championships where I could barely reach the hoop when I shot, I was so small. I also thought about the journey I've been through with my teammates since we were little, ten or eleven years old, playing together on the regional teams: we never would have imagined we could achieve European glory.

Let's go back. What was your illness like?

— I had meningococcal sepsis when I was two years old. It's a type of meningitis where bacteria enter the bloodstream and can kill you in hours. It causes gangrene in your limbs and, if left untreated, in your heart. I was in a coma, spending months in the ICU, but I have no memory of it because I was so young. My life has always been like this, and I wouldn't change a thing: being this way has made me who I am.

You were telling us about that image of you as a child where you could barely reach the hoop... but you came to basketball after playing other sports, right?

— I did everything. But I gradually gravitated towards cycling, swimming, and basketball. My parents were told it would be good for me to do sports to socialize. The first sport I practiced was swimming, and then... handbikeThe bicycle. But the problem was that I'm a very sociable guy. In individual sports, winning depends entirely on yourself. And that's fine, but I wasn't fulfilled by staring at blue tiles or running long distances. Basketball, on the other hand, captivated me because of the teamwork, the opportunity to socialize with people and create a little family. I loved battling alongside my friends.

You start playing here at Vall d'Hebron, right?

— I started playing here at Vall d'Hebron and then moved to CB Alisos. Back then, I'd go to the games and stay on the sidelines because I couldn't even play; I was ten or eleven years old. What shaped me as a player in my early days was Oscar Trigo. First at Sant Nicolau and then at Global Basket. I was with him for many years. He was the one who broadened my horizons just when I was old enough to understand a little about what I wanted to do with my life. He was the first one to push me, to talk to me about the importance of hard work, and to encourage me in sports. He pushed me so hard that more than once I didn't even want to see him; I even came to hate him (smiles).

Now you play for Albacete, the team that wins the Champions League.

— Before, I was in Las Rozas, Madrid, where Abraham Carrión was coaching. Abraham gets along very well with Oscar, and in fact, he took over as the national team coach. That's why I went. It wasn't easy leaving home so young, but it went well, and I played a really good game against Amiab Albacete, who were already the best club in the league. And look, they made me an offer, so off I went. I used to watch their games on YouTube. They were the best; I knew all the players' names by heart. And I soon found myself winning titles with them, with people I admired.

How would you describe the current state of wheelchair basketball at home? Are you envious of what you see abroad?

— Look, little by little, there's been a lot more support for minority sports, like ours. There's an effort to give it much greater visibility. But we're not going to stay silent; we still have a long way to go to achieve our goals, so that people truly take us seriously as an elite sport. We need support in every way imaginable, even though the Spanish league is doing things well.

Are you planning a new tattoo to celebrate the European Championship? You're already covered in them!

— Good question. And not just because of the European Championships, but also because of Paris and Tokyo. Even though I didn't win a medal, it was great to go to the Games. I like large tattoos of things unrelated to sports. I like movies and watching TV series. So maybe I'll get one.

Sports, tattoos, and music. We saw you on The X Factor, for example. freestyle It's part of who you are.

— I used to do a lot freestyle Especially when I lived here in my neighborhood, with my friends. I also wrote a lot. I always had ideas in my head. I grew up in a tough neighborhood, and what I saw inspired me. Growing up there made me strong, and I expressed myself through rap. When I was younger, I was a bit... lianteI was always on the go. But since basketball took up a lot of time, I stopped writing and singing until I got the call to go on The X Factor, and I picked it up again a bit for the competition. I'm a music lover. My life without music wouldn't be possible. I wake up and turn on the speaker, I blast the music in the car, I go to the gym and plug in my phone to connect it to the speaker. If I'm sad, I listen to sad music; if I'm happy, I play rap. I don't know if I'll ever write or rap again, who knows?

Have you thought about using your story to inspire young people through sport in La Mina?

— One of the greatest athletes we've ever had, Gervasio Deferr, has a gym in La Mina. We have Greco-Roman wrestling and gymnastics; some very good athletes come out of it. But right now I'm trying to enjoy my career. I'm not thinking about what to do in the future, especially because there's still a lot to be done to establish a good foundation in my sport, to promote its practice. Who knows? I'm in Albacete now, but it's clear I'd like to go back home. I always come back to La Mina and Besòs Mar.

What do you see in your parents' eyes when they see you succeed?

— I'm not a father, I don't know what it means to have a child born with a disability, I don't know the extent of its impact. I can't fully understand what they're going through. But I want to believe they see that a life destined to be unhappy, like mine, has turned out to be the complete opposite: I'm a European champion. I'm triumphant, I travel the world, I meet people and see new places. I've gone much further than many people would have imagined, coming from La Mina. I want to believe they see this.