The Catalan who went from always finishing last to winning two gold medals

BarcelonaPol Puiggener, a young man with an intellectual disability from Santa Coloma de Queralt, had trouble getting around normally, but when his parents gave him skis, they saw how naturally he thrived. His stubbornness and highly developed competitive spirit led him to compete in the Special Olympics Winter Games held in Turin, where he won two gold medals in cross-country skiing. "Pol is used to finishing last in the competitions for athletes without disabilities organized by the Catalan Federation, so you can imagine how much these two victories mean to him," explains Joan Puiggener., his father. His success was achieved in the modality skating in the distances of 5km and 7.5km.

His story is one of the two central axes of Super Olympics, a documentary that La Xarxa+ and local television stations premiered on Sunday. The other protagonist of the story is Anna Coromina, a girl from Premià de Mar, who won two silver medals in the Winter Special Olympics. Trained in basketball, the Catalan has found in alpine skiing a discipline that makes a difference.

Sport plays a fundamental role in the development of the personality and the ability to relate to others of Pol and Anna, two great athletes who need to make an extra effort to adapt to a different environment. "When we told her she would be competing in the Special Olympics, she didn't think much of it, but little by little we made her see that it was a very special competition with people from all over the world, a competition that few people managed to reach. When we started packing her suitcase, she got nervous with excitement. When she competes, she always wants to win."

Super Olympics is directed by Marc Marbà. "The documentary shows how sport helps these people with intellectual disabilities become better people. It's been a life lesson for the whole team. It's like a gift. The challenge was to convey what we experienced. Finding the right tone was very simple," says Marbà. The filming, which also highlights the work of the coaches, lasted six months.

"I've been collaborating with the Special Olympics for 30 years, and I've long wanted to make a documentary like this that follows the journey of athletes with intellectual disabilities. Everyone knows what the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games are, but few people know what the Special Olympics are." Super Olympics and presenter of The Goal. The documentary is the work of the production company Pimaxdos TV.

"The documentary is full of good people and manages to move people, but at the same time it doesn't hide anything and shows reality without reservations. Public media must be a reflection of a reality that is diverse," explains Georgina Ferri, general director of Betevé. "There are projects that convey emotions that are especially exciting. Sport is transformative and in a time like the one we are living now, it shows us where we should focus to build the society of the future," adds Núria de José, CEO of La Xarxa+.

The Special Olympics, a success

The Special Olympics brought together 1,500 athletes from 103 countries around the world in Turin, who competed in eight sports disciplines. These included alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, andsnowboardMore than 2,000 volunteers also participated, and some 100,000 spectators gathered.