The Los Llanos de Aridane Town Hall honoured Olympic champion Rosanna Simón this Saturday with the unveiling of the plaque that names the Puerto Naos promenade, previously called Barranco de Los Hombres.
The world taekwondo champion Rosanna Simón now has her name on the Puerto Naos promenade, the neighbourhood where she was born. The Los Llanos de Aridane Town Hall unveiled this Saturday the plaque renaming the former Barranco de Los Hombres promenade to Paseo Rosanna Simón, in a ceremony that brought together local authorities and residents.
The athlete, who competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and became world champion in 2009, could not hide her emotion. “If you told my 10-year-old self, who used to run through these streets and on this beach, that I would have a street named after me, I would never have believed it. Thank you, truly,” she said during the event.
A unanimous recognition from the Plenary
The name change was unanimously approved in the municipal plenary on Friday, July 17, 2026. The mayor, Javier Llamas, highlighted that Rosanna Simón is “one of the great figures in the municipality's sports scene.” “It is a pride for Los Llanos de Aridane, for La Palma and for all of Canary Islands,” he stated.
Llamas also emphasised that the athlete remains an active part of the municipality: “It excites me that a promenade in Puerto Naos, her neighbourhood, bears her name. But it excites me even more that she continues to be an active part of this municipality: with her presence, her way of doing things, her project, and an energy that helps make Los Llanos de Aridane and La Palma a place to stay.”
An elite career that inspires the island
Rosanna Simón is not only a world and European taekwondo champion, but in 2016 she was named Favourite Daughter of Los Llanos de Aridane. Currently, she runs the Rosanna Simón Centre and also gives talks, combining her sporting career with her business ventures.
The Tourism Councillor of the Cabildo de La Palma, Raquel Rebollo, present at the event, highlighted the impact of her figure: “Rosanna represents talent, effort, and commitment to this land. She is a role model for many people and a pride for all of La Palma.”
For the residents of Puerto Naos, the new promenade is not only a tribute but a source of local pride. The promenade, which runs alongside the beach, is an emblematic place for the neighbourhood and will now bear the name of one of its most illustrious residents. Those who stroll there can remember that, since she was little, Rosanna was already running through those same streets dreaming of reaching the top. And she certainly did.
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