Spain’s reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin offered all the medals she has won as a badminton player to healthcare workers who have been at the forefront in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Spain was one of the worst-hit countries in the world with over 290,000 cases and 28,000 deaths.
Marin who has spent the lockdown in her hometown Huelva, has been speaking with healthcare workers across hospitals in Spain.
“I offered all my medals to them when I was talking to them as they are in fact the real heroes in Spain. They deserve every applause and accolade,” Marin told The Indian Express.
“It was inspirational. I just wanted to thank them. They are the real heroes for all the effort in taking care of sick people in Spain during these terrible times. They did an incredible job and I would like to thank the frontline fighters who risk their lives every day and continue to serve people like us,” she added.
Read: Dream big, work hard: From Huelva to Rio, how Carolina Marin ended Asia’s badminton dominance
Marin returned to Spain after her semi-final match in the All England Open to see her father who met with an accident just before the lockdown kicked in. The inspirational stories of how people around the world dealt with the pandemic have motivated her to do even better on court.
“This pandemic is unprecedented, yet we have so many inspirational stories that can only make me want to give back. Taking to the court and playing to win will be a way to pay gratitude for these health warriors. I hope people in India can come out of it soon too,” Marin said.
Also Read: Carolina Marin, the one who conquers with her spirit
Marin has resumed training now and her eyes are set on defending her gold medal at the Olympics that were postponed to 2021.
“Winning Olympic was a dream that I and my coach had seen and my entire team had put together unbelievable hard work for the four years to get to that gold in Rio. Now my goal is set again,” she said.
“Though this year would have been different with the Olympics. I would have been immersed in training as the countdown would have started by now. It will take some time before I go full steam but once the tournaments start, time shall fly,” she added.
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