Aauri Bokesa
Athlete
1988, Madrid
On March 31, the first Instagram livestream of the ¨Limba Talks¨ series took place with Spanish athlete Aauri Bokesa, to celebrate Women’s Month.
WHO IS AURI
Aauri is a 33-year-old Spanish athlete with an impressive professional career. She played basketball until the age of 20 and then pursued a career as a 400-meter runner, having competed in the Olympic Games up to 3 times.
She also has another passion outside of sport: social work. She has managed to bring both worlds together by organizing sports activities with minors in residential care centers.
A woman who is pure inspiration!
"SPORT IS A REFLECTION OF SOCIETY"
During the livestream, we were able to exchange opinions and discuss issues such as the lack of coverage, gender stereotypes and the sexualisation of women in the world of sport.
We also heard about the complexities and effects that menstruation, as well as contraceptive methods, can have not only on athletes’ performance but also on their mental health, whether in the form of mood swings or low mood. We were struck by how little is known about this subject, as Aauri said: I’m 33 years old and I’m still learning.
As a Black woman, she was able to tell us what this meant both in Spain and in the sports sector, and she gave us some great advice: we all have prejudices; we should encourage introspection and understand why we think and act the way we do.
"RUNNING IS NOT FOR COWARDS"
That was Aauri’s answer to the question ¨What does courage mean to you?¨ For her, being brave doesn’t mean not being afraid, but feeling fear and facing it. She applies this above all when competing.
