Eva Aresté, Bea Ortiz, Sara Carmona, and Txell Mas Share Their Personal Experiences as Elite Athletes, Coaches, and Referees
The Can Ribas Auditorium hosted the talk Women and Sports, part of the events celebrating Les Franqueses del Vallès as the 2024 European Town of Sport. This roundtable discussion was moderated by El Periódico de Catalunya journalist Laia Bonals Ruiz, a specialist in women’s sports. It featured the participation of athletes Yasmina Alcaraz Moreno, Bea Ortiz Muñoz, Sara Carmona Hernando, and Txell Mas Pujadas. Together, they provided a snapshot of the current state of women’s sports and discussed the challenges still to be tackled through their examples and personal experiences.
Eva Aresté Giralt is a Catalan naval engineer and basketball referee. She played hockey and later basketball at the Hispano Francès Sports Club and in the youth academy of FC Barcelona. She began refereeing in 2007, and four years later, she officiated matches in the Copa Catalunya, balancing it with her professional career. Throughout her sports career, she has refereed in various national competitions, the EBA League, the LEB Oro, and the Women’s League.
Bea Ortiz Muñoz is a water polo player and Olympic medalist with the Spanish national team. Currently playing for CN Sabadell, Ortiz has won an impressive array of titles, including a Euroleague, a European Super Cup, three Spanish leagues, two Copas de la Reina, three Spanish Super Cups, and three Catalan Cups. Her international achievements include two silver medals at the World Championships (2017 and 2019) and a bronze at the 2018 European Championship. At the Olympic level, she competed in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo and recently earned a gold medal at the Paris Olympics this past summer.
Sara Carmona Hernando is a teacher, coach, and sports coach. With a degree in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, she is also a brand ambassador for Nike, Trek, Polar, Finisher, and Uniqlo. A triathlete dedicated to the scientific dissemination of sports, Carmona has become a prominent influencer in the field, focusing on the scientific and preparatory aspects of sports rather than the superficiality often found on social media.
Txell Mas Pujadas, ambassador for Les Franqueses del Vallès as the 2024 European Town of Sport, is a synchronized swimmer for Club Natació les Franqueses and captain of the Spanish national team. She has won seven medals at the World Swimming Championships, seven at the European Championships, and two golds at the European Games. Mas has also participated in two Olympic Games, earning her first bronze medal in Paris.
Through these inspiring figures, the talk emphasized the progress and continuing hurdles in the field of women’s sports.
