The Los Llanos de Aridane City Council honoured world taekwondo champion Rosanna Simón on Saturday with the unveiling of a plaque naming a promenade in Puerto Naos, the neighbourhood where she was born.
The world taekwondo champion Rosanna Simón now has a promenade named after her in Puerto Naos, the neighbourhood in Los Llanos de Aridane where she was born. The City Council unveiled the plaque on Saturday at an event attended by the athlete, Mayor Javier Llamas, Deputy Mayor Víctor González, the Tourism Councillor of the Cabildo de La Palma, Raquel Rebollo, and other members of the municipal corporation.
A recognition that moves the athlete
Visibly moved, Rosanna Simón thanked the tribute and recalled her roots in the municipality. “If you told my 10-year-old self, who used to run these streets and this beach, that I would have a street named after me, I would never have believed it. Thank you, really,” said the Olympic athlete from La Palma.
The athlete also wanted to highlight what it means to live in La Palma. “We are fortunate to live on a spectacular island, with even more spectacular people,” she added, earning applause from the attendees.
The mayor highlights her as a role model
The mayor of Los Llanos de Aridane, Javier Llamas, emphasized 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 the Canary Islands. It moves me that a promenade in Puerto Naos, her neighbourhood, bears her name,” he stated.
Llamas highlighted that the emotion is even greater because Simón “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.” The municipal leader did not hold back in praising the athlete, whom he described as an example for new generations.
A legendary career
Rosanna Simón participated in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, became world taekwondo champion in 2009, and European champion in 2010. In 2016, the Los Llanos de Aridane City Council distinguished her as Favourite Daughter of the municipality.
Currently, she balances her role as an athlete with that of a businesswoman, leading the Rosanna Simón Centre, and also develops her career as a speaker. The Cabildo Councillor, Raquel Rebollo, highlighted the impact of her figure in La Palma: “Rosanna represents talent, effort, and commitment to this land. She is a role model for many people and a source of pride for all of La Palma,” she noted.
The promenade now bearing her name becomes a new attraction for residents and visitors of Puerto Naos, who can stroll along it remembering the journey of one of the most decorated athletes from the Canary Islands.
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