VALENCIA. A child gave me this morning, Thursday morning, a very special gold medal. The medal, which was not gold, nor was it for me, is a clay craft that the students of a class made to entertain the people, the guests, who came, who came, to the change of name of their school. A school that has gone from being called Magisterio Español to being called Almudena Muñoz in honor of the Olympic judo champion at the Barcelona 92 Games. The second Spanish Olympic champion in history – the day before, Miriam Blasco also won in judo -.
In the end it has been 31 years of waiting for someone to have enough sensitivity and the desire to break with the established to grant a privilege, an honor, to the only Olympic champion that this city has produced – in addition to the Paralympic swimmer Pilar Javaloyas – . The event, simple but emotional, nothing imposed, without journalists, extras or opportunists, was organized by the people of the school, with its director, Teresa Baldrés, at the helm. Teresa found out suddenly a year ago that a former student had won a gold medal in Barcelona. That was a shock and, without having any information or telephone number, she set out to look for her. It took her a while and when she thought she already had it, the certain Almudena Muñoz that she had located turned out to be a karateka from Madrid. The director of this center did not give up, she insisted and in the end she found the real Almudena. After learning her story, he told her that the school, her school, was going to change its name to bear hers because, in addition, she had found out that the Valencia City Council did not want to grant her a street (according to what they said, because she was alive and that was a privilege they had reserved for the dead. Bad luck, or not).
Teresa spent several months searching “by land, sea and air,” as she said, for a person she did not know because she believed he deserved an honor that no one had granted him. It seems to me that there cannot be a more noble act.
Almudena was excited. She went to school with her husband, Carlos, and her in-laws. Her parents died years ago and were not able to enjoy this special moment. Someone stole it. The athlete has long since stopped being that young woman so shy that she barely dared to look at the stands, where the Kings of Spain were, the day she was proclaimed champion. Now she is a poised 55-year-old woman who has worked at the Municipal Sports Foundation for decades, much more confident in herself and who is very happy when she sees some of her classmates who did not want to miss appear through the door.
Then some politicians arrive, such as Ignacio Martínez, general director of Educational Planning and Linguistic Policy, or Inma Murgui, territorial director of Education, Universities and Employment. And Rocío Gil, Councilor for Sports, Education and Equality, the woman who broke with years of injustice and promoted the mayor to finally grant her a street in Valencia that will arrive when the opportunity arises. The councilor will then address the children, very formal and quiet, to explain to them that this summer, when they are on vacation, they will be able to watch the Olympic Games on TV and be excited by the Olympic champions, champions like Almudena Muñoz.
The Valencian champion was very grateful to the school and remembered that on the roof of that gym where the event was being held, there was a rope that she had to climb as a child. When she finished her speech, brief and basically dedicated to giving thanks, some students had the opportunity to ask her questions. A teacher tells me that throughout the week they have been very nervous because they were going to meet Almudena Muñoz and that some of them have investigated on her behalf, in her houses, and they have seen her fights and have learned new things about her. she. One of those multiracial children in classes much less crowded than those Almudena’s generation knew asks her why she dedicated herself to judo. She smiles and says that underneath her house there was a small neighborhood gym where her brother practiced judo. Her mother did not want to sign her up, but before one of her birthdays, little Almudena told her that she did not want any gift other than starting to do judo.
Then everyone goes out to the school yard. Some children go to play, others remain thoughtful in a corner, I see a loner walking behind a bush and many come to give a hug to the protagonist, the woman who gives her school its name from that day on. A couple of kids then run up and ask him a point-blank question: “Almudena, Barça or Madrid?” For many children, sport is reduced to that: Barça or Madrid. But luckily there are surely others who, like Almudena, who has no answer to that question, see that the range is much larger and that there are other sports that are just as exciting.
On a wall I see that there is an inspiring phrase written: ‘He who reads molt and walks molt, sees molt and knows molt’. Read a lot and walk a lot. Don’t stop moving physically and intellectually. That makes us wiser and better. I can think of many people to whom I would give a book and a path.
Almudena is already at the entrance. There they have covered the new sign with a small curtain that the judoka removes so that from that moment on everyone can see that this is the Almudena Muñoz school. She is happy. Me, in my own way, after years of vindication, too. I’m leaving with a very cute medal in my pocket and a story for this cantina.
2024-05-24 04:40:18
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