“The woman in the sport separated barriers, something changes. We have no limitations”

After four years in Royal Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC)The Catalan Anna Villar (1983, Montcada I Reixac, Barcelona) It was chosen as the most responsible for Spanish, female and masculine teams, of a mountain bike. Previously, the Barcelona cyclist had already selected in 2018 the chief of Catalan MTB’s choice in exchange for Carlos Portilla And in 2021 he was appointed MTB’s female selector. Now, five years later, he assumes the hand of the entire Spanish mountain bike ship.

“No doubt. It was a good chance to be able to direct the whole group, both men and women, it was a great opportunity for me and a new challenge. In the years I took the team of women I had learned a lot, both from my work and from my work Mikel Zabala (The guy), and now I’m going to work alone. I hope to move everything I have learned these years and that Mountain Bike National Matega in the coming years of an upward line, “Anna explained to MD.

The promise of women within the RFEC is clear, and expressed in the election by Anna Villar or Begoña Luis Pérez, which assumes the position of the national coach of Paralympic Road and Track Cycling. Details that cannot escape Anna Villar. “For us it is a challenge to be the first RFF women we take both men and smukeers. We want to do well. It is true that we have more pressure, but no one can win us with wins and enthusiasm. I think we are starting to break the famous crystal ceiling. It’s a great chance and a pride that is a federation that bet on women.”

On the question of whether there is a change in the presence of women in the sports management positions, the new MTB coach believes that “yes, the role of women is growing and more noticeable, I would like to think that this is the most natural step. Something changes and the woman separates barriers.” I have not kept Villar Young Sports Foundation “Being a woman in sport is a constant challenge, but thanks to all the values ​​that the sport gives us, we allowed us to break small barriers and open new paths. One of the major obstacles is the duties so men planted on any sports creature. We are women with no limitations.”

Double Champion of Spain Elite Xco (2010 in Barcelona and 2012 in Lorca) And many times Spain’s champion of Team Relay and Catalunya de Xo, Anna Villar has to listen to everything for the only fact that women and occupy the positions she holds, in a world that should be more civilized and ‘modern’ than once. “By the time I became a coach, there were always comments, and it wasn’t because it was a girl; sometimes it was difficult and not sometimes easy for athletes, even though I had to say that they always took care of me well and I felt respected.”

In addition to women’s equality, man-woman, Anna Villar- who in 2017 was forced to withdraw a heart disease- was defined as a coach near the athlete. “I am an empathic coach with the corridor, because I have lived the experiences they have passed. I try to be close. I want to talk to them, to know what they need and to be transparent. I try to be respectful of them and understand the situations they pass, sometimes you have to make decisions that I know to accept and try to explain it to my reasoning.” Details MD.

One task that should begin to notice in advance of a year with importance to its sport, more from the competition itself, as the Olympic cycle begins, with the level of federation the first year of the new board of directors. “We have to follow the same line of work to this day and take care of the base, because it is the relay of the coming. The goal is to establish beautiful lines of work and then think about Olympics ”.

If any sport has experienced a brutal change in recent years it is the Mountain Bike of the highest level, with the shortest, shortest -Duration, and more technical races. “The mountain bike is constantly emerging. It is more technical and more complete runners required. You must have all, knowing how up and down, master all aspects of the career, making it more demanded for preparation. Fortunately, because childhood they have learned these methods.”

Feel the admiration of women’s leaders

Anna Villar has confirmed that she admires women who, based on work, struggle and practice, reached the top of the sports pyramid, which is not easy, and the proof of this is that of 66 sports federations in Spain only three are led by women. This is the case of drawing, basketball and rescue and help. Isabel García Sanz leads the rescue and caregiver; Asunción Loriente is the remo federation and Elisa Aguilar of the Spanish Basketball Federation. It should be noted that the law of equality -the federation decided to have a balanced composition in which the range of representatives does not exceed 60% or less than 40% between men and women about total components.

And, as I said Anna Villar, You need to continue working with the youngest. “This is one of the goals. Work with the base, the Júnior and the Sub23, because we want to have relief of David Valero (copper at the Tokyo Olympic Games, copper in the XCM World Championship and has successes in the World Cup). Everything indicates that we will have Jofre Culll and David Campos. We have corridors of level that may be in the Top15-20 of the World Cup, but we need new blood. Marta Cano, Estibaliz Sagardoy or Lorena Patiño They are young people who maintain a good development.

And for young people to compete, not only the youngest, but also for cyclists in elite, memories are necessary. So far, Anna Villar says “I have everything I need to do my job well but you have to see the new RFEC’s new direction and the budgets they have. Ultimately, the important thing is the resource you have. We have been working on bags of help for many years, which is a tool that has worked well, but we need cyclists to come out.