“Life made itself very hard to get with me,” Sandra Sanchez told abc.es.
The decorated karateka spoke with the publication about releasing her new book, ‘Karateka’, published by Editorial Lunwerg, following the release of her biographical film on October 30.
Sanchez retired with 40 international medals, including Olympic gold, world titles, and European championships. Her career spanned rigorous training under coach and partner Jesus del Moral, battling past a difficult upbringing, and supporting her mother through cancer.
She recalled returning from the High Performance Centre (CAR) to care for her mother.
“I’m not in the national team, I’m walking another path, but I’m still just as happy,” she told abc.es, explaining that happiness was found in the journey rather than just gold medals.
Training served as a vital anchor during periods of personal distress and intense pressure. Sanchez described the dojo as a sanctuary that kept her grounded when she felt entirely lost.
“Everything that I didn’t know how to express, I did with karate,” Sanchez told abc.es. “There nothing hurt, nothing weighed down.”
She never viewed herself as the undisputed best athlete in the world despite her extensive medal haul. Instead, she pointed to the collective effort of years spent travelling, learning, and training alongside dedicated peers and mentors.
“I never believed that I was the best in the world,” Sanchez told abc.es. “How could I be, with all the people who do karate?”
Mental discipline required deliberate practice alongside physical conditioning. Sanchez explained how she learned to retrain her brain to reject constant self-criticism and negative internal dialogue.
“Our mind is malleable, but we are not aware that we can mold our thoughts,” Sanchez told abc.es, noting that she forced herself to use positive reinforcement during difficult training sessions.
Del Moral pushed her to stand in the center of the training room when self-doubt made her want to leave. She emphasized that athletes must learn to accept that they deserve their place in elite competition without falling into self-sabotage.
Looking back at her journey, Sanchez highlighted three defining images from her time in the sport. The first involved her early days practicing alongside her brother Pakito in Talavera de la Reina.
The second centered on winning the world championship in Madrid while seeing her parents and brother cheering in the stands.
Since stepping away from competition following her triple crown goals, Sanchez has coached athletes in her category and focused on new projects to transition into her next chapter.
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