What an honour for all of us who form CAEI, and also for all those who have at some point been part of it, to have Olympians representing us! Two of our members, trained at home until age forced them to leave home, have become Olympians at a very young age. And I want to emphasise the very young because Andrea, aged 19, and Paul, aged 22, have managed, with their effort and dedication, to represent Spain at the XXI Winter Olympics held in Vancouver last February. They have done a great job and the best of all is that they have their whole lives ahead of them. I am sure they will not falter and, little by little, they will improve in the “ranking”. Since, according to those who know about the subject, they still need time to reach their peak and by the time the Barcelona 2022 Olympics arrive, we will surely have the best representation.

In Val d'Aran we are proud that the saga of Olympians that began with Rafael Mombiedro, José Moga and Andreu Ribera, continued with Eva Moga and Xavi Ubeira, is now represented by these young promises. It is not easy to continue in top competition; it requires a lot of dedication and a great effort and, in addition, you cannot forget your studies. Luckily, both Andrea and Paul are doing quite well and are eager, but it is also necessary for the sports authorities to put in everything that is needed, which is a lot and, more than they have done so far, to give the necessary support to the athletes and to those of us who, from the base, try to promote skiing and winter sports.

If we want to hold the Olympics in 2022, whether in Barcelona or Zaragoza, we need to do much more to promote the base, from initiation in schools or club activities, we need to ensure that skiing in areas close to the resorts becomes a normal activity for its inhabitants and not a burden for families.



In short, I hope that Andrea and Paul's example will serve to foster this foundation and that by 2022 we will have a great representation.