At the beginning of last year, Pablo Álvarez joined CERN as a member of personnel through the Technical Studentships Programme. Pablo, a Spanish national, has spent a lifetime dedicated to high-level canoeing, competing both nationally in Spain and internationally. After moving to Geneva, he found in the CERN Staff Association Clubs a way to continue his activity as a professional athlete while coordinating it with his research work at CERN: both the CERN Fitness Club and the CERN Kayak Club played a key role in providing the necessary support.

Thanks to this, Pablo achieved remarkable results including winning the regional championship in C1-200m, second place in the C1-200m and C1-500m national selectifs and, most importantly, a third place in the French National Championships (host country of this year’s Olympic Games) in the 200m distance; all of this while representing CERN Kayak Club.

Pablo also admits to investing his free time in other associations such as the CERN Amateur Radio Club and the CERN Jazz Club. In his words, CERN would not be the same without the clubs offered by the Staff Association.

More information on the Clubs: here