PORTELA Teresa

General
SIXTH OLYMPIC GAMES
At the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, she will become the first Spanish female athlete to compete at six Olympic Games. Her Olympic debut was the 2000 Games in Sydney. "I really enjoyed Sydney, I was not under pressure. At Athens 2004 I managed to get into the final [of the women's K4 500m and K2 500m]. In Beijing in 2008 I was sick for a week due to the intense heat at the opening ceremony. At the 2012 Games in London I made a mistake that meant I finished in fourth place [in the women's K1 200m], I was disappointed, but it was my favourite Games. And at Rio 2016 I thought it was my last Games. I finished in sixth place [in the women's K1 200m] but it was like a gold medal for me. Being in my sixth Games and becoming the first Spanish female athlete to do so motivates me a lot. I still haven't reached the end of my career, I still have plenty to offer. I feel blessed. Having been able to live off canoeing for 30 years is a sort of medal." (newtral.es, 05 Apr 2020; efe.com, 02 Sep 2020; as.com, 14 Apr 2020)

MOTHERHOOD
She says that she faced a difficult decision over whether to start a family before she became a mother in 2014. "I didn't know if I would return to elite sport. I was uncertain because I didn't want to rule out either sport or motherhood. You often see female athletes leave the sport when they give birth, but I wanted to try both. You never find the right moment to become a mother so I decided not to postpone it further. Sometimes we just need to be told that it is possible." She says her bronze medal at the world championships in 2019 was made more memorable because her daughter was there. "It was the best moment in my life. Going through the pregnancy, birth and the return to training with my daughter, without giving up anything, has had a huge impact on me, both as a person and an athlete. Now I'm stronger. The reward for all the sacrifice was to step on the podium, to secure a quota spot for the 2020 Olympic Games and to have my daughter there to see it." (newtral.es, 05 Apr 2020)

FURTHER STUDIES
She has a diploma in physical education teaching from the University of Vigo in Spain. She has also studied a course in nutrition and diet. (fisioterapiamoscatoportela.com, 01 Jan 2019; efe.com, 02 Sep 2020)

OCCUPATION
She and her husband David Mascato run a physiotherapy centre in O Grove, Spain. (fisioterapiamascatoportela.com, 01 Jun 2013; Mascato Portela Facebook page, 07 Jun 2020; newtral.es, 05 Apr 2020)

She became the first Spanish sprint paddler to compete at five Olympic Games, after she participated at the 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 Games. (SportsDeskOnline, 04 Nov 2020)