Movistar Team rider Paula Ostiz is back in competition after a challenging period that forced her to step away from racing. In a heartfelt social media post, the Spanish cycling prospect opened up about the physical and personal issues that halted her progress in recent months, bringing to light a topic rarely discussed in women’s sports.
“After Australia, I had to stop,” she wrote, revealing that intimate health problems had impacted both her performance and physical stability. The experience led her to reflect on an often-overlooked aspect of elite athletics: “It’s vital to take care of women’s intimate health, especially in sports where we spend so many hours training and pushing our bodies to the limit.”
The discomfort forced Ostiz to adjust her cycling posture, which then triggered tendinitis. She had to completely halt and begin a process of physical and mental recovery. “It was time to recover, be patient, and restart from a different place,” she admitted, finding solace with her closest circle. Family played a crucial role during those tough months: “They were my refuge, calm, and strength.” This support helped her face the uncertainty and the need to listen to her body — something she wanted to publicly emphasize: “There are discomforts we normalize, and we shouldn’t.”
Ostiz’s reflections have resonated widely in the cycling world, particularly for how naturally she addresses a subject rarely given space in professional sports. Behind injuries and pauses, there are often invisible issues that directly affect athletes’ well-being.
Now, having overcome the hardest part, the Movistar Team rider looks ahead with optimism. “Now it’s time to return,” she wrote, already thinking about competing again “with more learning, more awareness, and the same drive as always.” She enters a new chapter in her career, one that goes beyond results and carries a clear message: in elite sports, it’s essential to learn to stop, listen to your body, and understand that health comes before any competition.