Para Swimmer Núria Marqués Talks Motivation and Championships with Hypebae

From Belgian skateboarders, French B-girls, and refugee boxers, Hypebae has teamed up with Nike to spotlight four boundary-breaking athletes — going behind the scenes of their training routines, daily workouts, and what makes them champions in their space.

For the final installment of this exclusive Day in the Life series, we follow Spanish para swimmer Núria Marqués at her training facility in Barcelona.

Born with a physical impairment in her left leg which ultimately led to it being amputated, she vowed never to let her disability get in the way of her dreams. Being in the water was always her natural form. At just a few months old, her family took her to a local pool where her affinity for swimming was built, and she hasn’t looked back since.

With an extensive list of accolades in the sport, Marqués has taken part in national, regional, and international stages — competing in a range of events and reaching podiums in the 400m freestyle and 100m backstroke, to name a couple. But this year, she’s aiming for gold as she prepares to take on the Paralympics.

Residing at the training center in Barcelona means being surrounded by athletes, trainers, and staff around the clock. This feeling of community and working together to achieve a wider goal at the grounds is what pushes the boundaries and keeps her motivated on her journey to becoming a champion. Marqués’ training begins in the pool at 8:30 a.m. with “a light warm-up of 1,000m” before increasing in increments until reaching 3,000m. The athlete then practices a series of “aerobics, velocity, and power” with these sessions changing depending on what needs to be worked on and the day’s schedule.

“One thing that’s important when it comes to being an athlete is eating healthy, going to physiotherapy, and taking care of my body,” Marqués explains. And being in and around the training center not only helps that but allows her to connect with the wider team as well as keep on track both in and out of the water.

Her days usually end up winding down with other athletes, catching up, and socializing in the cafeteria. However, the main priority on Marqués’ mind is this year’s games and flying the flag high for Spain in Paris. “I am excited for September to come so I can represent my country at the highest level,” she concludes.

Watch the full Day in the Life episode with Núria Marqués above, and catch the other episodes on Hypebae now.

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