Spanish Ski Mountaineer Emma Roca Dies At 47

This Friday, Catalan sport mourns the death at the age of 47 of Emma Roca, one of the great pioneers of mountain sports in our country. Roca, Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and firefighter of the GRAE, excelled in the most emblematic mountain races, as well as in the practice of downhill skiing and even in mountain biking tests.

In addition to several championships in Catalonia and Spain, Roca won two third places in the Mont Blanc Ultra Trail (2012, 2013), a second place in the Marathon des Sables (2011), and a third-place also in the Horses of the Wind (2011).

Apart from her sporting side, she excelled in doing her doctoral thesis in biochemistry on the effects of endurance racing on the health of non-professional runners. In terms of business, Roca had recently been appointed as the new president of the Incorpora’m user and worker cooperative, which promotes labor and social integration in La Cerdanya.

Emma Roca was in love with outdoor sports and in 1998 TV3 recorded a report in which the Catalan athlete explained how she was introduced to the world of raids.

Athletes and sports, social and political institutions such as the General Secretariat of Sport, the Federation of Hiking Entities of Catalonia, the GRAE, and the City of Bellver de Cerdanya have lamented their loss.

Es fa difícil dir adeu a la Emma Roca, referent per tants. Una dona que desprenia energía a caudals. Pionera en els raids d’aventura, esquí de muntanya i trail. Investigadora incansable, bombera, organitzadora i ferma veu per l’esport femení… La nostra generació et deu molt 🙏
— kilian jornet (@kilianj) June 18, 2021

Mountain and ultra-endurance racing

2013 ?? Champion of Catalonia in ultra-endurance races (UTBCN).
2012 ?? 3rd in the Mont Blanc Ultratrail and 1st in the Scottish Ultramarathon.
2011 ?? 2nd in the Marathon des Sables and 3rd in the Travessa Cavalls del Vent.
2010 ?? 1st in her age group at the Ironman in Nice (9th overall).
European mountain marathon champion (Val d’Aran) and Catalan mountain duathlon champion.
1998 ?? 1st in the Nike Aneto X-Treme Marathon, Catalan mountain duathlon champion, and Spanish long-distance duathlon champion.

Mountain Sky

2008 ?? 3rd in the World Cup in pairs (Italy) and 5th in the Patrouille des Glaciers (Switzerland).
2007 ?? Champion of Spain in pairs (Núria).
2005 ?? Champion of Spain in pairs (Formigal) and time trial (Cerler), 3rd in the individual World Cup, and 4th in the Pierra Menta (France).
2004 ?? Individual Spanish champion (Formigal).
2003 ?? 2nd in the Spanish Championship (Vaquèira-Beret).
2002 ?? 4th in the European Cup for couples and Spanish champion in pairs (Vaquèira-Beret).

Adventure racing