On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Institut Guttmann Foundation, two teams made up of 4 people with an acquired neurological disability and 5 professionals from the Neurorehabilitation Hospital will participate this year in the Skoda Titan Desert Morocco, one of the most demanding stage mountain biking competitions in the world.

Two teams made up of professionals and ex-patients from the Institut Guttmann – Neurorehabilitation Hospital will face this year the 20th Skoda Titan Desert Morocco, one of the most demanding stage mountain biking competitions in the world. This challenge symbolizes the effort and overcoming of people who live with the consequences of a neurological injury, demonstrating that sport can be a powerful tool for rehabilitation and social reintegration.

Each team is made up of a pair of ex-patients: one pair with a spinal cord injury and the other with a brain injury. This tandem seeks to have each person contribute their abilities to compensate for the limitations of the other, with the support of two hospital professionals. In total, nine participants: eight competitors and the project director, who will also be part of the race.

This initiative, promoted by Dr. Alejandro del Arco, traumatologist at the Institut Guttmann, takes rehabilitation beyond the hospital, offering patients the opportunity to achieve an elite sporting challenge. The Titan Desert will test the physical and mental endurance of the participants, who will face extreme conditions such as intense heat, sand dunes, rocky tracks and steep slopes.

According to Del Arco, the project "not only challenges people with disabilities to overcome themselves, but also invites them to help another achieve it. It is a lesson in teamwork and trust between people with complementary neurological injuries."

The four participants are athletes who, despite having been discharged, continue to be linked to the hospital for medical monitoring. The team of professionals is made up of a traumatologist, a rehabilitation doctor specializing in spinal cord injuries, a nursing assistant and two physiotherapists, who in addition to competing will provide medical monitoring of the patients during the test. "This participation goes beyond sport: it is a fundamental step in the rehabilitation process, where patients regain autonomy and confidence to face life after discharge", highlights Del Arco.

The project is possible thanks to the support of companies and entities that have joined forces to make this challenge a reality. In this sense, the Institut Guttmann has the collaboration of Botolarium, Fittexport, Viñals, Coloplast, Noel, Saned, IQG and Motocard, which have made it possible for the teams to participate in this sporting and charitable adventure.

With this initiative, the Institut Guttmann – Neurorehabilitation Hospital, a reference monographic center in specialized Neurorehabilitation, reaffirms its commitment to equal opportunities and the full social inclusion of people with disabilities, consolidating a 60-year history dedicated to Neurorehabilitation and improving the quality of life of people with disabilities.