Susana Rodríguez Gacio won her eighth paratriathlon world title in Pontevedra on September 25, finishing in 1:06:37, nearly two minutes ahead of Italy’s Francesca Tarantello. It was her third consecutive world championship. Rodríguez also has Paralympic gold medals from Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
She crossed the finish line alongside her guide, Sara Pérez, in front of family, friends and members of her training team. The result added another milestone to a career that has run alongside her medical education and work.
Born in Vigo in 1988 with a visual disability, Rodríguez grew up with her family treating it as one aspect of who she was, rather than a measure of her potential. She began competing at age ten in ONCE school games and says sport gave her a setting where she felt judged by her abilities.
Rodríguez first studied physiotherapy at the University of Vigo’s Pontevedra campus. During her second year, her interest shifted towards medicine. After completing her physiotherapy studies, she enrolled in medical school in Santiago de Compostela. She faced practical barriers, including classes reliant on blackboards and a lack of notes, and adapted her studies with technology while explaining what support she needed.
Fundación Universia scholarships helped her throughout medical school. She used her first award to buy books, a small laptop for taking notes and a printer, and renewed the scholarship each year based on her academic progress. Rodríguez graduated in medicine in the 2014–15 academic year and later completed a residency in physical and rehabilitation medicine, while continuing to train and compete.
In April 2026, she took part in Fundación Universia’s Global Inclusion Leaders course, a leadership programme for professionals with disabilities supported by Banco Santander, Fundación IE and IE University. Rodríguez said the experience strengthened her approach to coordinating with the guides who train and compete alongside her, as well as her work giving talks at conferences and companies.
She also encouraged people considering education grants to apply, saying that stronger qualifications can help open doors in the workplace, where prejudice against people with disabilities still exists.
Sources: La Vanguardia.