Teresa Perales

Teresa Perales

Personal information
Full name	Teresa Perales Fernández
Nationality	Spain
Born	(1975-12-29) 29 December 1975 (age 48) Zaragoza, Spain
Website	TeresaPerales.es
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Club	CD Asser: Spain
Medal record Women's para swimming Representing  Spain Paralympic Games 2004 Athens 100 m freestyle 2004 Athens 50 m butterfly 2008 Beijing 50 m freestyle 2008 Beijing 100 m freestyle 2008 Beijing 200 m freestyle 2012 London 100 m freestyle 2016 Rio de Janeiro 50 m backstroke 2000 Sydney 50 m butterfly 2004 Athens 4x50 m relay 2008 Beijing 50 m backstroke 2012 London 50 m freestyle 2012 London 200 m freestyle 2012 London 50 m butterfly 2016 Rio de Janeiro 200 m freestyle 2016 Rio de Janeiro 200 m medley 2016 Rio de Janeiro 100 m freestyle 2020 Tokyo 50 m backstroke 2000 Sydney 50 m freestyle 2000 Sydney 100 m freestyle 2000 Sydney 200 m freestyle 2000 Sydney 50 m backstroke 2004 Athens 50 m freestyle 2004 Athens 50 m backstroke 2004 Athens 100 m breaststroke 2008 Beijing 100 m breaststroke 2012 London 100 m breaststroke 2012 London 200 m medley World Championships 2015 Glasgow 50 m freestyle S5 2015 Glasgow 200 m butterfly S5 2015 Glasgow 50 m freestyle S5 2015 Glasgow 200 m freestyle S5 2015 Glasgow 200 m medley SM5 European Championships 2014 Eindhoven 50 m freestyle S5 2014 Eindhoven 50 m backstroke S5 2014 Eindhoven 100 m freestyle S5 2014 Eindhoven 4x50 m mixed freestyle relay 20pts 2016 Funchal 100 m freestyle S5 2016 Funchal 50 m backstroke S5 2016 Funchal 100m freestyle relay 34pts 2014 Eindhoven 100 m freestyle relay 34pts 2016 Funchal 200 m freestyle S5 2016 Funchal 50 m butterfly S5 2016 Funchal 200m medley SM5 2016 Funchal Mixed 50m medley relay 20pts

Teresa Perales Fernández^[1] (born 29 December 1975) is an S5, SB4, SM5 classified Spanish swimmer, politician and motivational speaker who has won a total of 27 Paralympic medals at the 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 Summer Paralympics. She is the most decorated Spanish Paralympian in history.

In 1995, at the age of nineteen, Perales was diagnosed with neuropathy and lost the use of her legs within three months. Following the 2000 Games, she earned a Diploma in Physiotherapy and married Mariano Menor. She later had a child with him following the 2008 Games. In addition to swimming, Perales has been a politician, teacher, entrepreneur and motivational speaker. As an Aragonese Party (PAR) politician, she was in office from 2003 to 2007. Following her departure, she co-wrote an autobiography with her husband. Despite having no plans to return to politics, she was symbolically on the 2011 ballot for PAR as a member of the Congreso de los Diputados. Perales has supported a number of causes including Doctors Without Borders, Fundación Carlos Sanz and Fundación Vicente Ferrer.

Taking up swimming at the age of 19, she joined the Aragon-based disability sport club CAI CDM a year later. A year after that, in 1997, she competed in her first Spanish championships, in which she earned several medals. The following year, she made her national team debut at the IPC (International Paralympic Committee) Swimming World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand, where she earned a bronze medal. She then went on to compete in the 1999 European Championship, 2000 Summer Paralympics, 2001 European Championships, 2002 IPC World Championship, 2004 Summer Paralympics, 2006 IPC World Swimming Championship, and 2008 Summer Paralympics. She took a break from swimming following the 2008 Games to give birth to her son. She returned to the pool in 2011 for the European Championship and then competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics. She earned at least one medal in every Paralympics, European Championship, and World Championship in which she competed.

Because of her sporting achievements, Perales was awarded the Gran Cruz del Mérito Deportivo and the Medalla de Oro de la Real Orden del Mérito Deportivo. She has earned several other honors including being named the Woman of the Year by the Spanish women's magazine Mujer hoy.