Esther Peris (born November 28, 1980) is a Spanish

paraplegic Paraplegia, or paraparesis, is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek () "half-stricken". It is usually caused by spinal cord injury or a congenital condition that affects the neura ...

who has competed in table tennis and

para-alpine skiing Para-alpine skiing is an adaptation of alpine skiing for athletes with a disability. The sport evolved from the efforts of disabled veterans in Germany and Austria during and after the Second World War. The sport is governed by the International ...

at the national level.

Table tennis

Peris is an adaptive table tennis player, and a member of Escuela de Tenis de Mesa Adaptado de la Fundación del Lesionado Medular. In 2012, she competed in the Spanish national table tennis championships.

Skiing

Peris started able-bodied skiing a year before she became a paraplegic. She only had limited time to participate and never competed in able-bodied ski competitions. In

, Peris is a sit-skier. When skiing on her own in Spain, many resorts require that she be accompanied by a monitor to supervise her on the slopes. This and specialized equipment make skiing very expensive. Peris was one of the original members of the first Spanish women's adaptive skiing team, Fundación También, in Spain, having been with the team since 2007. AS a member of the team, she skis with Teresa Silva, Nathalie Carpanedo, Mariluz del Río, Sandra Cavallé,

Irene Villa Irene Villa (born 21 November 1978) is a Spanish author and journalist who became a political figure after losing both legs in an ETA (separatist group), ETA attack in Madrid at the age of 12. She was particularly vocal in her opposition to José ...

and Alberto Ávila. One of the goals of the team was to develop skiers to represent Spain at the highest levels. The Fundación También team created a special team for elite skiers, Equipo Santiveri, in 2007 with assistance from a sponsor. That team originally had only six elite members of which she was one. She and her teammates had ambitions of qualifying for the

2010 Winter Paralympics The 2010 Winter Paralympics (), or the tenth Paralympic Winter Games, were held in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, from March 12 to 21, 2010. The opening ceremony took place in BC Place Stadium in Vancouver and the Closing ...

. In 2007, the national championships were open to female sit-skiers for the first time, and Peris was one of several Spanish skiers to compete. She spent a week training with the Fundación También ahead of the 2009 Spanish national championships. In February 2011, she participated in a Madrid-based event designed to teach students with disabilities in area schools how to ski. The event was organised by Fundación También. In April 2011, she competed at the Andorran hosted Spanish national championships. In January 2013, she participated in a five-day training camp with the Fundación También at Sierra Nevada.

Personal life

Peris is from Madrid, and participates several sports including in skiing, table tennis, swimming and hand cycling. When Peris was 23 years old, she developed a spinal tumor that eventually resulted in her becoming a paraplegic. She requires a wheelchair for daily use. Following becoming a paraplegic, she became involved in efforts to empower other sportswomen with disabilities.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peris, Esther 1980 births Living people Spanish female alpine skiers Paralympic alpine skiers for Spain Spanish female table tennis players Spanish disabled table tennis players People from Madrid Sportspeople from Madrid 21st-century Spanish sportswomen