In two separate sessions, Mirambell and García described their experiences in Olympic sports and welcomed questions from the students.

Ander Mirambell, a skeleton racer who took part in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, making him the first Spaniard to compete in the event, talked about his stint in football with RCD Espanyol’s youth B-team and his participation in two European championships with athletics clubs. He is currently trying to quality for the 2014 Winter Olympics to be held in Sochi, Russia. The 30-year old, who has earned the nickname “el gato de hielo” (the frozen cat), told a number of anecdotes based on his experience of this little-known sport.

The other guest, 35-year-old Juanín García, a winger for FC Barcelona handball team who was named best field player of 2004, remains an influential figure in the sporting world. He described his time spent at Ademar León handball club, based in his hometown of León, and his career at FC Barcelona, where he won his first, and so-far only, Champions League title in 2011. García is the top scorer in the history of the Spanish national team and the Spanish handball league. He described Spain’s win at the 2005 World Handball Championship in Tunisia and the bronze medal he won at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.