Tenerife bodyboarder Alexandra Rinder became world champion for the third time.

Tenerife athlete Alexandra Rinder recently became the world bodyboarding champion for the third time in Brazil. The celebrations are already over, and now it becomes clear how important this victory is for her. It is a recognition of an athlete who once achieved success as a teenager, but was able to reinvent herself, overcome difficulties, and regain the title that always belonged to her thanks to her talent.

The championship in Jacaraípe, in the state of Espírito Santo, was a great end to the IBC World Tour season. It was enough for Alexandra to reach the quarterfinals and wait for her rival, Namika Yamashita, not to be able to go further. With a score of 12,350 points, she surpassed the Japanese athlete (11,700 points) and once again became the best in the world. "I promised myself to work, dedicate myself to the cause, and be positive," she summed up.

Rinder last became world champion in 2015. Ten years have passed, during which there were ups and downs, victories in small tournaments, but also periods of uncertainty. That is why this victory is so special for her. "After a few years when I didn't feel very well, I came back stronger and proved to myself again that after a fall, you can get up," she shared.

It is overcoming difficulties that makes her current achievement so valuable. For a while, she doubted and thought that her time had passed. Today, she openly says that she experienced a "period of sporting uncertainty, not believing in her strength." The key to success was small changes in her daily life and the support of family and friends who reminded her who she is. "At the beginning of this year, I decided that I had to change something, because I wouldn't be able to stand another unsuccessful year. I started preparing better and changing simple things that I knew would make me happy."

The result was not long in coming. "When I saw at the first championship that I could win again, I said to myself: okay, then I'm staying here," she says.

No one has ever doubted Alexandra Rinder's talent. Her skill, ability to read waves, and courage to take risks at the right moments make her one of the best in the world. But, as she herself admits, the main battle was inside her. "I know that my athletic abilities are limitless, they are world-class, and if my mind is also playing, then there are more chances to win."

This year, she decided to change her approach. Instead of focusing on the result, she decided to enjoy the process: "I said to myself: now it's my turn to enjoy and have a good time." She admits that "it was the best summer" of her life. The difference from previous years is obvious, and therefore she emphasizes the importance of emotional balance in high-performance sports. "If I could tell my 16-year-old self to take more care of myself mentally... when you win, everything is great, but when you don't achieve your goals, it hurts."

There is a warning in her words, as well as hope for young athletes: "I advise athletes to take care of their mental health... because if someone had told me that in my time, maybe those years that were unsuccessful for me, I could have survived better."

"For me, it is a great pride to represent the islands, a great pride to travel the world and participate in these world championships." Returning home after the victory was joyful and exciting. "My flight was delayed for two hours due to technical problems and a medical emergency, but even then my parents were waiting for me with posters," she recalls. Since then, she hasn't stopped. She was greeted in various institutions, she gave many interviews, and recently even made a symbolic kick in the match between the women's teams CD Tenerife and Real Madrid at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium.

And amidst this busy schedule, Rinder took part in the European Tour Bodyboard (ETB) on El Socorro beach, a place she has known since childhood. "I have been going to El Socorro since I was a child, I trained there a lot," she says about the place that reconnected her with her roots, with the place where she first learned to do tricks and fell in love with the sport that later took her to the world level.

Alexandra Rinder is no longer the young star who impressed the world with her talent. Today, she is a woman who values resilience, tranquility, and the ability to enjoy every wave. Her third world title is a recognition of her personal development and learning. Ten years later, her story shows that true triumph lies not only in what you achieve, but in how you achieve it. And in this sense, Rinder is once again a world champion both in and out of the water.

In addition to the world award, Rinder received recognition at the Rodríguez López stadium this week. The athlete was honored before the match between Costa Adeje and Real Madrid. José Juan, José Antonio Barrios, and Javier López, well-known figures of Tenerife, were also recognized. But Alexandra received the most attention.