Isabel Fernández has shifted her athletic career toward the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games following a degenerative osteoarthritis diagnosis that forced her to step away from elite para-karate.
From Para-Karate World Champion to Medical Halt
For years, Fernández maintained a grueling daily regimen of four to six hours of training while balancing high-performance sport with a professional career. That routine ended when doctors warned her that continuing at that competitive intensity would cause her health to suffer due to degenerative osteoarthritis. The simultaneous loss of her athletic career and her job removed two primary pillars of her daily life.
She subsequently joined the Club Águila Imperial. While her initial goal with club president Joaquín was strictly recreational, within three months she entered a tournament and returned to competitive sport. Her coach, Rubén Montes, noted that competitive drive remains central to her athletic background.
Family and CaixaBank Support Fernández
Fernández relies heavily on her family, particularly her father, Juan Antonio Fernández, who accompanies her to training sessions and competitions while managing equipment setup and field logistics. Her competitive path is also supported by CaixaBank through its partnership with the Spanish Paralympic Committee, providing resource stability that allows athletes to focus entirely on training and performance.
International Debut and the Road to 2028
In her international debut at the European Cup in Rome, Fernández reached the final round. Training sessions under Montes now focus heavily on internal workload management and precise, disciplined routines. With the Los Angeles 2028 Games approaching, Fernández continues her technical preparation to compete at the highest level of international para-archery.
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