“A little over a year ago I was in a wheelchair and lying in bed,” he says. Joel Plata, 26 year old gymnast which will compete with the Spanish team in the coming Olympic Games from Paris. In March 2023 suffered an accident along with his teammates, which caused him nothing less than a broken femur. Although his world fell apart at that moment, his work and effort allowed him to compete at the highest level within six months.
This is how he tells it Behind the medala documentary by Atresmedia which tells the story of Plata and three other elite athletes who are still on their way to achieving their Olympic dream in Paris and who have had to overcome a series of difficulties that have put their careers at risk. Alongside Plata, the athletes Ana Peleteiro and Sara Andrés and the swimmer Hugo Gonzalez They tell their story of resilience and effort in this documentary now available on laSexta and atresplayer.
A tough physical and psychological recovery
After the accident, and upon arriving at the hospital, the young man received the bad news: “Everything is fine, but your femur is broken. It is necessary to operate“. Although everyone around him was relieved that he had survived the accident, Joel was devastated.
This is how he explains it Ray Zapataalso a Spanish Olympic medallist and Plata’s teammate, who witnessed the accident: “It could have been much worse, it could have ended in tragedy,” he notes. Also the team coach, Benjamin BangOr, who gets emotional remembering the moment when they saw that they were alive: “I didn’t know if any of them weren’t going to be there.”
But for Joel the hard part was not knowing if he would be able to be at the same level as before: “I considered quitting gymnastics”he confesses. Together with his coach and his physiotherapist, they got down to work. They had to fight 100% because in six months they had the World Cup and Joel wanted to be there.
“It The psychological process was harder“I had to beat the demons that were in my head,” confesses the young athlete, who had just won bronze at the 2022 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
His hard work amazed everyone: “The recovery has been impressive,” he says. Pablo Salasphysiotherapist for the Spanish national team. But he, in turn, acknowledges the support of his team and his “essential” teammates: “The work and the professionals I have around me have helped me to return to being the Joel who had to stop,” he says.
This athlete with an Olympic surname is completely honest in the documentary: “I feel closer than ever to this team, I don’t know if it’s because of the accident or not.” Six months after the accident, he qualified for his second Olympic Games and in 2024 has won gold on the bar and silver on the floor of the World Cup.
The support of his family
Behind the medal It also tells how the Support from the families of these athletes is key to boosting his career. In the case of Plata, the documentary tells the funny story of his origins: “We aimed at gym “so that he could start making the goat,” says his father, Rafael. “He was a child who It did not stop“I wasn’t afraid of anything,” adds Margarita, her mother.
Both also remember the hard times experienced after the accident, although with less trauma than the athlete himself. “Joel It doesn’t matter, you’re alive“his mother notes, recalling a conversation with her son.
“I tried many sports and when I was six I knew I wanted to do gymnastics,” Joel explains in the documentary. It’s lucky for sports fans that he made that choice, because it has allowed us and will allow us to enjoy his talent and, who knows, see him hold a medal this summer in Paris. What is certain is that he will give it his all: “I see myself in an incredible moment and I go with great hope“, concludes the gymnast. The full documentary, above and on atresplayer.
Source: Lasexta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
