Bárbara
Gymnastics Instructor (1936) Barcelona

There are many ways to do things for others: you just need to value what you know how to do and share it. Bárbara has found the way. Now 89 years old, for the past 29 years she has been showing up at Barceloneta beach to teach free gymnastics classes to older adults. She started physical activity when she retired at 60. Since she had plenty of free time, she learned to ride a bicycle and would often head to the beach. There, she joined a group of women who were exercising, and shortly after, she became the one leading the pack. Since then, she hasn't stopped teaching whoever wants to sign up. Currently, she leads groups of up to 80 people. She gets them to move their whole body and doesn't let a single bad posture slide. "If it needs to be repeated, we repeat it, and no one complains." Bárbara, as forceful as her name, is demanding. Yet everyone agrees on describing her as a kind, affectionate, and unique person who radiates encouragement, discipline, and good humor. She shares that many women who arrive sad, lonely, or grieving are transformed within a few weeks. What moves her most, she says, isn't the recognition, but rather when someone tells her they feel better, more alive, and stronger. It can clearly be said that Bárbara is more than an instructor. She is companionship, she is routine, and above all, she is hope.