In 2025, the name of Isabel Fernández has resonated strongly in Paralympic archerya sport where he has broken into with impressive speed and determination. In just a few months, the Toledo woman conquered the world summit in the W1 category, reserved for athletes in wheelchairs. And sow hope for a bright future on the road to the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games.
Isabel, although a novice to archery, is no stranger to the high-performance sport. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated tireless tenacity and an ability to overcome obstacles that have led her to excel in various disciplines. Was three-time world champion and four-time European champion in wheelchair karatein addition to winning national medals in canoeing and a continental medal in weightlifting.
However, injuries and the progression of a degenerative disease that affects your muscles and strength in his upper limbs, made him think that his sporting career had come to an end. But everything changed at the National Hospital for Paraplegics in Toledo, where one day he was offered to try his luck at archery.
Always up for new challenges, she accepted the invitation and, in 2025, immediately demonstrated that her ability to adapt and succeed in any discipline is astonishing. Her rise was meteoric: in her first national selection, she surpassed the required scores and was called up to compete internationally.
A golden debut in the European Cup
In May, Isabel He made his debut in the European Cup in Rome. In that tournament, she faced much more experienced rivals, but the Toledo native, with precise and calm aim, won the gold medal. That triumph was not only a personal victory, but also a clear sign that Spain had a new reference in Paralympic archery.
The next stop was in June in Nove Mesto (Czech Republic), where he competed in another European Cup. There, not only did he get back on the podium, but He broke his own national record by scoring 141 points. in the qualifying rounds and take the silver medal.
A historic world cup
He continued his rise with his participation in the World Cup in Gwangju (South Korea), where he had an outstanding performance. In a disputed and exciting final, she faced the Czech Sarka Musilova, world number one, European champion and Paralympic runner-up in Paris 2024. Isabel could not win, but his silver represented a historic achievementbeing the first world medal for Spain since 2009 in Paralympic events -Daniel Martín won a bronze in 2019 but his category for the blind is not part of the official program of the Paralympic Games.
Isabel was not the only protagonist, since this season the Cantabrian also made her international debut Leticia Palomerawho obtained a creditable eighth place in the European Cup in Rome.
As for the Spanish Championship held in Tarazona, the Toledo woman won gold in Open Composite, Carmen Rubio took silver and Leticia took bronze. In Men’s Compound, Fernando Galé, who was the only Spanish representative at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, won gold, while in Visual Impairment (VI 2/3), Adrián Orjales won gold. In intellectual disability, Adrián Millán was the champion, while in acquired brain injury it was Diego Marco and in W1 Rebeca León.
