He was one of those players who, by his charisma and his way of being, soon connect with anyone. Funny, cheerful, a true 'crazy' of the paddle and always willing to exhibit his contagious smile. This way we will remember an Elías Estrella who, wherever he is, will always carry a shovel in his hands.
Padel World Press .- There are times when sitting in front of the computer and finding the right words to express what you feel can be very complicated ... And this is one of them.
It takes a lot to contain, restrain and order the alluvium of memories, thoughts, images, feelings and emotions that crowd our minds when facing this news.
We will not see him again, we will no longer vibrate with the magic of his paddle, we will no longer joke with him or share visions about a future that, in his case, promised to be brilliant.
Our relationship with Elias Estrella began almost two years ago, when along with Maxi Cejas not only showed his talent in the Argentine paddle but also began to take his first steps in the World Tour Paddle Tour. At that time, both in Malaga and Marbella, Elias and Maxi managed to access the Main Draw and showed that, despite their young age, they had the paddle engraved on fire in their DNA.
Ricardo Ráccaro, General Director of SANE, was the first to tell us about Elías: "You do not have an idea of what that kid is playing. What you have seen here is a very small part of the great talent that you have inside. He's going to be one of the greats of this sport. " And although we both joked with Elías about his physical appearance, with a long hair and kilos, he assured us that he would return to Spain, consolidate in the Professional Circuit and be one of the best players in the world.
He kept his word ... Or was beginning to fulfill it because that was his dream. Enjoy the paddle and enjoy the fans.
Professional of the feet to the head, knew that it had a gift to play to this sport but also it learned that, to arrive at the highest thing, it was not enough only with the talent. There was a lot of work to be done, and if there was one thing that Elias did not lack, it was the desire to constantly improve, to keep progressing, to overcome barriers and to test his limits.
Settled in Barcelona for months, already as a member of Team NOX, his transformation was complete in every way. A member of the work team of the Club Pádel Indoor Granollers, he put himself in the hands of Albert 'Nugui' Nogueras in the padel part, as well as Gina Alcázar in the physical part and Julio Bohigas in the nutritional part. All of them contributed their grain of sand to achieve the 'Metamorphosis of a Star' (as Julio Bohigas himself described it to us in his day), which did not lose an iota of his talent but did begin to have a spectacular physique.
Last June of 2015, we had the opportunity to interview him and to exchange a few words. "You can not tell me I'm fat anymore" ... With that eternal smile for which he was always characterized, we both took the opportunity to remember the day we met, how our lives had changed since then and what were the projects we had for the future ... Because that was what Elijah had before him: a spectacular future.
When at the beginning of December his union with Gaby Reca was confirmed, we reconnected ... What a great news to be able to see him next to one of the 'Mythicals' !! I still did not believe it. He was very excited about the possibility of playing, growing and learning alongside one of his great idols since he was a child and he could not help but feel nerves and some pressure ... Very demanding with himself, he wanted to be up to the new challenge that was about to face.
Life sometimes hits us harshly, it gives us some blows impossible to understand or to assimilate. And this has been one of them. We still wonder why we have had to leave a boy in the prime of life, with 20 years and with a long and beautiful story yet to be written.
We're going to miss you, Elias ... And a lot. We will miss our talks on paddle, our conversations about what this sport could become and also those moments in which we shared our dreams ... You on the track, we from behind a keyboard but always with the paddle as passion in common
In Padel World Press you have left an indelible mark and your memory will remain forever with us. We want you to know, wherever you are, that you can feel very proud of all you have achieved in your 20 years and that, with your example, you have marked the way for many young people who, like you, also dream of being one of the greatest players of the world of paddle.
Your talent, your ambition but, above all, your humility to want to learn and accept that you still have a long way to go will be part of your legacy to this sport ... Together with your eternal smile that, from the sky, will continue to shine like a Star.
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