Guiding a Champion: Improving Your English Through Inspiring Sports Stories
- Ashley
- 22 oct
- 4 Min. de lectura
As an athlete, improving your English can feel challenging, especially when you want to communicate naturally in sports environments. Today’s story is about a real-world moment in triathlon, and you’ll also get a chance to improve your English reading comprehension and learn useful sports vocabulary.
Why English is Important in Sports
Whether you’re competing internationally, on a multilingual team, or traveling to training camps, knowing English in sports environments helps you:
Communicate better with teammates and coaches
Understand race briefings and instructions
Build connections and friendships with other athletes
Gain confidence in competitions and social settings
Learning English for athletes is about practical communication you can use in real sports moments on and off the field, whether you're giving a quick instruction or command during a game, or sharing a pizza with your teammates afterwards.
Practicing your English by reading sports stories that inspire, challenge, or teach us something is a great way to increase your vocabulary and incorporate English into your daily routine.
Ready to practice your English with an incredible story? Let's go!
Athlete Spotlight: Guiding a Champion
Sometimes the world of sports gives us stories that stay with us.
This is definitely one of them!
At the 2025 World Triathlon Championships in Wollongong, Australia, Spanish triathlete Sara Pérez Sala had a weekend she’ll never forget and achieved something remarkable*.
She took on a rare challenge: racing in the world championships twice in one day.
In the morning, she competed as the guide for Susana Rodríguez Gacio, a visually impaired triathlete, helping her win her seventh world championship title in the Paralympic category.
The race included a 750-meter swim, a 20-kilometer bike ride on a tandem bike, and a 5-kilometer run.
This is an amazing feat* by itself. But what Sara did afterwards left everyone speechless*.
Only a few hours later, Sara raced again, this time solo. She swam 2 kilometers, cycled 80 kilometers, and ran 18 kilometers, and finished third in the T100 professional women’s race.
🏆 Two races. Two podiums. Two incredible athletes. One dream team.
What a powerful story of selflessness* — helping someone else achieve their goal and make history*, and then making history yourself.
Guiding an athlete like Susana is built on trust and constant communication. The guide must verbally describe everything — the course, turns, terrain, even when to shift gears* on the bike OR mentally, and even drink water.
Sara shared this reflection afterwards:
“My blind, my friend, and more than just guiding. With Susi, I’ve learned what teamwork really means. A tandem improves when you work as a team, not as two individuals. We have an emotional connection — that’s the key. Maybe I’m not the best guide, but we make a good team in every sense. We really enjoyed the open water swim, and the descriptions of all the animals I saw! I loved being her eyes that Saturday while she made history.”
And after her own race later that day, Sara wrote:
“Maybe I never even dared to dream of standing on the T100 podium. It was magical and surreal. My priority was to guide Susi that day, but once the job was done, I focused on my race, resting just a short time before hitting the start line. This result is my reward for daily work. Persevere* and don’t despair*.”
Susana, meanwhile, shared her own side of the story:
“It’s been a long year. I reached the finish line thanks to the best team. Beyond a great race plan, I take from this championship empathy and friendship when I needed them most.”
Quotes taken from Instagram posts by Sara & Susana
Helpful Words & Phrases
remarkable — very special or surprising. “Sara’s performance, getting on the podium in two races in one day, was remarkable.”
feat — an impressive action that shows great skill, strength, or courage. “Finishing two triathlons in one day is an incredible feat.”
speechless — unable to speak because of surprise or emotion. “Everyone was speechless after Sara’s second podium.”
selflessness — putting others’ needs before your own. “Guiding Susana showed Sara’s selflessness.”
to make history — to do something extraordinary or record-breaking. “Susana made history with her seventh world title.”
to shift gears — to change gears on a bike, or to change focus or activity quickly. “After guiding, Sara shifted gears to race solo.”
to persevere — to keep trying even when things are difficult. “Sara’s success shows what happens when you persevere.”
Lessons for Your English and Sports Practice
This story teaches us a few important lessons:
Communication is key: just like Sara had to communicate every detail to Susana, practicing your English helps you navigate real sports situations more naturally and confidently.
Teamwork matters: supporting someone else can help both of you succeed.
Perseverance pays off: even when things seem difficult, consistent effort leads to results.
Try using the vocabulary above in your own conversations with teammates!
Reflection: Your Turn
When was the last time you supported someone else’s success, or communication in sports helped you achieve something meaningful?
Leave a comment and share your story — I’d love to feature some of your experiences in a future post or newsletter!
Have questions about a word or expression in the story? Feel free to ask me!
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