ZABALA OLLERO Loida

Type of Impairment
Spinal Cord Injuries (Athlete, 05 Apr 2017)

Origin of Impairment
Acquired (elmundo.es, 11 Sep 2008)

Impairment Details
She has paraplegia as the result of the effects of transverse myelitis [spinal cord infection], which she contracted at age 11. (Athlete, 12 Jul 2019; elmundo.es, 11 Sep 2008)

General
TRAINING ABROAD
In 2014 she accepted an invitation from Mexican Para powerlifter Amalia Perez to train alongside her in Mexico, under the guidance of coach Enrique Alvarado. She returned to Spain the following year. "I learnt muscle strength exercises that I didn't know I could do because of my impairment. In those four months I felt like an elite athlete." (practicodeporte.com, 22 May 2017; avancedeportivo.es, 24 Feb 2016; loidazabala.com, 01 Dec 2015)

DOCUMENTARY
Her daily life was the subject of a Spanish film documentary named 'Fuerza' [Force], directed by Carla Alonso. "Making this documentary has been a turning point in my life. I learnt a lot from the director and it has pushed me to keep on learning so much that I even took up acting studies. I have the dream of becoming an actress. My favourite part of starring the documentary was the lecture I gave at the Nino Jesus Hospital in Madrid, to children who were undergoing treatment such as chemotherapy. It was really special to be able to share my message with them. The main message I would like to share with the film is that there are no limits to achieving goals, no matter if you can walk or not. Sometimes we stop to fight for our goals because we think that they are impossible to achieve, but if you are very passionate about something, you work hard and enjoy the work you will get them for sure." (patrocinaundeportista.com, 30 Nov 2018; marca.com, 01 Jun 2018; tokyo2020.org, 07 May 2020)

She became the first female powerlifter to represent Spain at the Paralympic Games when she competed at the 2008 Games in Beijing. (SportsDeskOnline, 23 May 2019; elmundo.es, 11 Sep 2008)