Juan Ignacio Martínez Fernández-Villamil

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Juan Ignacio Martínez Fernández-Villamil (aka Moreno), the heart and soul of the Descenso a Nado de la Ría de Navia
Juan Ignacio Martínez Fernández-Villamil (aka Moreno) at the 2009 LEN Cup in the Ría de Navia
Yurema Requena with Moreno at the 2009 LEN Cup in Navia, Spain

Juan Ignacio Martínez Fernández-Villamil, also known locally as Moreno, is the long-time volunteer and driver of the multi-day and multi-event Descenso a Nado de la Ría de Navia and Vice President of the Amigos de la Ría de Navia in Asturias in northern Spain. Nicknamed "Moreno", he is a retired industrial engineer who has guided the Descenso a Nado de la Ría de Navia to become one of the World's Top 100 Open Water Swims as well as the Copa Asturias (Asturias Cup).

He was named one of the 101 Movers And Shakers in the open water swimming world by the Daily News of Open Water Swimming.

2012 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year Nomination

His year-round efforts were selected by popular vote as the 2012 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year by a global poll. His selection will be celebrated at the annual International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame and World Open Water Swimming Association ceremonies held in Cork, Ireland on 11-13 October 2013.

His World Open Water Swimming Association nomination reads,

For 55 years, the Descenso a Nado Ría de Navia has captured the hearts and minds of the small town of Navia in northern Spain. For 55 of the 55 years, Juan Ignacio Martínez Fernández-Villamil or Moreno for short has been the heart and soul of the Descenso. The dances and the drama, the pageantry and the parades, the races and the revelry of the race are intimately ingrained in a truly magical week of non-stop activities. This priority on the athletes, this melding of culture and competition only comes about by a larger-than-life personality who places open water swimming at the center of his life’s work day in and day out, year in and year out. For his ability to inspire the community and sponsors, for his ability to weave the traditions of northern Spain so magnificently to a swim down a river, for his efforts to place smiles on swimmers of all generations for days on end, for his 24/7 availability to create a most picturesque event where swimmers are all placed on the top podium of priority, the year-round efforts of Juan Ignacio Martínez Fernández-Villamil are a worthy nominee for the 2012 WOWSA Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year.

WOWSA Award Winner

Descenso a Nado de la Ría de Navia




External links

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