by Anna Tschirky
Duna Gordillo is a talented stand-up paddler who has won the hearts of fans with her passion for the sport and her charismatic style. Born and raised in Mallorca, Duna has learned to appreciate the natural beauty and diversity of her home waters and uses them as a stage for her SUP successes.
With a background in surfing, Duna quickly took a liking to stand-up paddling and discovered her passion for competitive sport on the water. Since then, she has taken part in numerous competitions and achieved remarkable success. Her talent and perseverance has made her an outstanding athlete who regularly appears on the podium.
However, Duna is not only a competitive athlete, but also an enthusiastic ambassador for the sport. She is actively involved in promoting stand-up paddleboarding in Spain and discovering new talent. Her positive attitude and tireless efforts have made her an inspirational figure in the world of stand-up paddling.
In this interview, she tells us about her plans for 2024 and what else she does besides SUP.
Thank a lot for your time and interest to share a bit more about you as a person with the SUP community!
After proving to be one of the best female paddler for several years now, what are your plans for the 2024 race season? Do you have any specific goals / titles you want to achieve? Which races are you planning to go to?
My plans for the 2024 season are focused on building a good preseason shape to arrive with a good level to the first competitions of the year. My general goal is to continue in the same way as in the last few years, as well as to continue enjoying the trips and competitions with my SUP teammates and friends. The races I have in my mind are mainly the two Spanish championships which will be held in Melilla and Galicia, as well as four Euro Tour races and some others that I am still thinking about. The rest of the competitions I’m going to do this year, will be the most important events for me and the ones I focus on the most, such as the World Championships and the ones I’m going to with the Spanish Surfing Federation. Therefore, if I had to mention a specific title that I want to achieve, it would be to get another gold medal in one of the world championships.
A lot of people know you as the determined and hard working athlete that likes to travel and explore new places. But I guess very few readers know what your day to day life looks like. Since I know you’re currently studying to be a primary school teacher, could you tell us a little bit more about how your everyday life looks like?
That’s right, apart from the training and competitions, I am already in my third year of university to become a primary school teacher.
My daily routine is quite busy, because right now I am doing an internship in a school with children from Monday to Friday in the mornings, and two afternoons per week I also go to the university. From the outside it may seem like a pretty tough and challenging schedule, but in my case I don’t consider it that way, firstly because it’s what I’ve been doing for several years, and secondly because I really like and enjoy everything I do. Even with all this, I still have free time that I take advantage of to practice my hobbies or to go out with my family and friends. For me this is the best way to unwind and disconnect!
You’re on the water most of the time when people see you. It would be interesting to know if you have any other passions / hobbies besides SUP?
As you mentioned, I spend a lot of my time training, but I have other passions and hobbies that I like to do as often as I can. One of them is surfing, although in Mallorca we don’t usually have many waves. But occasionally we do have them and I enjoy it a lot. Also, an activity that I love and share with my family and friends, is going for a walk in the mountains, it relaxes me a lot because I really appreciate the change of scenery.
You’ve been together with the Spanish long-distance champion Aaron Sanchez since 10 years already! How did you get to know each other at first and how has your relationship developed during the years while sharing the same passion?
Aaron and I have known each other since we were 9 years old, which means 12 years ago. We first met in the world of SUP since we started paddling almost at the same time and since then we have always had a very good friendship.
Our relationship has always improved and we have shared more and more trips, experiences and passions… These last years our relationship has become much closer and we help and support each other.
What is your wish for the sport of SUP in the future?
Since I have been practicing this sport for a long time, and I have been able to see the evolution and changes that the sport has made. I think there is great progress and it is a sport that is much more recognized these days. Thus, one of my dream and wish is that SUP makes it to the Olympics.
Thank you for taking the time and we wish you the best for the upcoming season!
(Fotos: Thanks to Duna Gordillo) Social 📲 @dunagordillo
About Anna Tschirky
Anna Tschirky is a respected SUP athlete with many great successes in her life. She has been a member of the Stand Up Magazine team since the beginning of 2024.
Social 📲 @annatschirky