Marta Xargay, life after basketball and abuse: "I don't wish anyone to go through what I went through"

Three years ago, Marta Xargay (Girona, 1990) left elite sport at the height of the wave. Because, he confessed, “all that glitters is not gold.”. She was 29 years old, she was one of the best players in the world, leader of the European champion team, Olympic and world silver, but she looked back and only remembered basketball.. Not only did she retire, she also publicly denounced having suffered episodes of abuse by Lucas Mondelo that led her to bulimia.

Marta pressed F5 and a new life dawned, of which Breanna Stewart, her wife (WNBA MVP) and Ruby Mae and Teo are now part.. After all that earthquake of 2021, of life experiences as unique as the birth of his children and as hard as the death of his father due to cancer last August, Xargay breaks his silence in EL MUNDO, which he receives in Madrid after receiving the award from Gigantes magazine for his Legend career.

What is your life like after basketball? If I'm honest, my life is a revolution. We live between New York and Girona. I no longer have a schedule to train, but now I have to take the girl to school, take care of Teo…. And I like to continue being surrounded by basketball, sharing the previous nerves with Breanna. What do you miss and what don't you? We just got back from Antwerp from the US Olympic Qualifiers and we miss those important games, the finals, watching a full pavilion… But day to day…. When I see that she has to train twice or lengthen a workout, I don't miss that. I know it was my time. When an elite athlete no longer wants to work overtime, it means that you are no longer enjoying what you do. What feelings do you have when you see a ball? When I announced my retirement, it took me a long time to touch a ball again. I didn't feel like it. When people leave due to fatigue… And I was very clear about it, one stage was closing and another was opening. Now I occasionally help Breanna in some training, when we are in Girona. But in New York I only play with my daughter in the toy basket we have at home. Now we see careers that extend up to 40 years. You were clear that it was time to say goodbye with 29. I was happy and calm with my career. Olympic Games, World Games, European Games, the WNBA, I won a Euroleague…. It's true that here we start much younger and I suppose that mental and physical fatigue comes sooner. Best memory? Rio comes to mind a lot. Any medal costs a lot, but an Olympic one… That was one of the moments that has marked me the most and that will stay with me forever. Do you feel that they formed something special in that team? We went to the team to have a good time. We were going to compete, but we always said, 'Let's go camping.' It was a group with a lot of chemistry and a very good vibe. We enjoyed it outside, but we also enjoyed it inside, where the character came out. Knowing how to compete, not giving up. Pride. On Sunday they were down 22 and came back in Hungary. You feel proud, even though you are no longer part. It means that you have left something, that that character is not lost.

There were also bad moments. I was recently with Laia Palau and we remembered the last summer, 2019, the European Championship in Serbia. That summer was very hard. I carried everything I had on me and it was very hard for everyone.. If I'm honest, I don't even know how we won.. Well, with Spanish blood. That tournament was held after his season in Kursk (Russia), where those “unaffordable things” that he denounced with Mondelo happened.. Was it a liberation? I felt a responsibility to make my case public. I, who was who I was at that moment, could help someone. It was better to do that than win a medal. As an elite athlete, there are many girls who follow you. You are an example for many people. From all that process I remain with the people who wrote to me, thanking me. Because surely, they were going through the same thing. Mothers and girls wrote to me, saying thank you. You have to give visibility to things. You don't want that to happen to anyone, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. It was hard, I'm not going to lie to you. But you can also get out of it. I have recovered and in the end, it was an anecdote, so to speak. He has not talked about it again or about Lucas Mondelo. I did not want to talk more because in the end it is something that I wanted to get rid of. Breanna helped me a lot, she also told her story to help other girls. About Lucas, each one chooses his path. I am very calm with my life, with my career. I'm not going to talk to him. If I meet him, I'm not going to turn his face, we are adults. In addition to your case, did you see or sense other cases of abuse nearby? I am convinced that there are many cases like this, in all areas. There are people who do not have that power to report or are afraid to tell their story because they cannot be believed. I hope anyone who is suffering harassment or any type of abuse can ask for help and put an end to it. As an elite athlete, what did you feel about the Rubiales case? It was hard, very hard. I remember getting emotional with anger and sadness. When he spoke (at the RFEF Assembly) and everyone applauded him… that's what hurt me the most of all. Things happen and everyone can make a mistake, but what comes after the mistake is worse than what happened before. When I saw that applause, tears fell down.. I thought, 'Still, we applaud.' That is unforgivable. What would you say to your children if they told you that they wanted to dedicate themselves to basketball? Something that my parents told me from the beginning: 'Enjoy and have a good time.' And be aware that there will be hard moments. I had teammates whose parents were behind with the statistics. They never scolded me. If you haven't done well but you've fought and enjoyed it, it's worth it. He started his family after his career. Did you value being a mother while being a professional player? In that area there is a lot to learn. In sports we are very behind. We are making progress little by little, but there are still striking cases. A few days ago I saw a woman doing a job interview and the first thing they asked her was if she had plans to get pregnant.. As elite athletes we have it much more difficult. In the WNBA it is different, the players can travel with the children, financially they help you from the league… I hope there comes a time when being a mother is not a problem for an athlete. As an athlete and person you want to create a family and we should make it easier for all of us. Silvia Domínguez told me that she was aware that being a mother affected her sports career. It's not fair at all. Many athletes are not mothers because they are afraid of what will happen, in case it will affect their career. When we decide to start a family, it affects Breanna too. You don't sleep as well… being a mother is a constant job, non-stop.