Carolina Marín accepted the MARCA Leyenda award following her retirement from professional badminton in March due to knee injuries, cadena100.es reported.
Following multiple knee injuries and a difficult recovery, the athlete chose to step aside to make way for new generations in the sport where she has been a pioneer in Spain. Badminton was completely unknown in the country until she made people talk about it and inspired many young girls to follow in her footsteps, fulfilling one of her main goals.
The Spanish pioneer gathered with sports figures to receive the accolade recognizing her career. Rafael Nadal delivered a surprise audio message during the ceremony that left Marín in tears.
Solo quería felicitarte por este MARCA Leyenda más que merecido, disfruta de este momento que es siempre muy especial,
Nadal told Marín in a 48-second voice note sent to her phone, cadena100.es reported. The tennis player also wished her the best in her new stage of life, telling her it will surely be wonderful, and sent her a big kiss.
Felicitarte por toda esta carrera tan increíble que has tenido, has hecho algo único que es ser pionera en traer el bádminton a las pantallas de nuestro país con la dificultad que esto conlleva,
the tennis player added in the recorded message, according to cadena100.es.
Marín explained that she had no television role models for badminton when she started her career. She instead looked up to Nadal as an athlete who never gives up a point, cadena100.es reported, and she was later able to meet him in person and view him as someone who has always set an example.
Cuando fui a mi primer pabellón, me llamó la atención la raqueta de bádminton acostumbrada a ver las de tenis. Eso, el hecho de que fuera algo diferente, me llamó la atención,
Marín said in an interview with the sports daily, cadena100.es reported.
Marín recalled receiving thousands of messages after tearing her knee ligament in Paris, feeling the need to reply to everyone who took the time to write to her during one of the worst moments of her life. She listened twice to the unexpected audio file before realizing the sender was Nadal, cadena100.es reported.
Me entró un audio de 48 segundos de un número que no tenía guardado. Al final me dice: ‘soy Rafa’. Lo tuve que volver a escuchar. Era un mar de lágrimas. Estoy eternamente agradecida,
Marín said, according to cadena100.es.
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