Professor Promotes Inclusion for Spanish Veterans

Growing up in Cordoba, Spain, Javier developed a passion for sports and physical activity. Then, during his time as an undergraduate student studying physical education in Madrid, he discovered wheelchair basketball and focused his studies on the sport. Javier pursued this avenue wholeheartedly and went on to earn his PhD with an emphasis in wheelchair basketball. In addition to now serving as a faculty member at the Technical University of Madrid, Javier also serves as a physical trainer and national coordinator for wheelchair basketball in Spain. Javier coached the Spanish wheelchair basketball team at the 2012 London Paralympic Games, as assistant coach and team leader.

Javier is also director of the Chair “Sanitas Foundation” for Inclusive Sport Studies (CEDI) at the Technical University of Madrid (UPM), an organization that promotes sports participation for people with disabilities. Collectively, Javier aims to provide inclusive sports opportunities, with a focus on high performance for persons with acquired physical disabilities and veterans. For GSMP: Sport for Community 2019, Javier will be mentored by Peter Hughes, interim Athletics Director, and his team at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ.