The road to Madrid has included stops in Texas and Alabama for Laura Davoli and Isabel Martin, with both athletes embracing the challenges and demands of student-athlete life in the United States.
The pair have spent the past year in different corners of the American South, with Davoli at the University of Texas at Arlington and Martin at the University of Alabama.
"It's been very intense," Davoli said.
"We train three hours a day, plus gym sessions and extra shooting requirements. We have to get 1,300 shots up each week outside of training.
"It's definitely the environment you need to be in if you want to be a great athlete. Your development really takes off."
While Davoli spent her first year studying psychology, Martin has been pursuing a PhD in Human Nutrition while competing for one of the most successful wheelchair basketball programs in the NCAA.
"It's busy!” Martin laughed.
"I'm doing teaching assistance, research assistance and coursework alongside basketball.
"But the basketball side is awesome. The culture is great, the leadership is really good and there's a really high standard that everybody buys into."
Alabama claimed its sixth consecutive national championship last year, highlighting the culture of excellence that Martin has enjoyed being a part of.
"Everyone wants to win," she said.
"It's a really special culture to be around."
Now back home in the green and gold, the pair have reunited with the Gliders group as the countdown to the 2026 IWBF Women’s Repechage in Spain enters its final stages.
"It's been really good to be back with familiar people again," Davoli said.
"The girls really are like family.
"Everyone has gone away over the last year and worked on themselves, and I think we're going to see that improvement at the Repechage."
Martin believes the program is building something special as it continues to evolve.
"You can definitely feel the energy is going in a really positive direction,” she said.
"I think all the girls have a lot of belief in the coaching staff and even more belief in each other."
With qualification for the 2026 IWBF World Championships on the line, they are both eager to put their progress on display in Madrid.
"I think we're finally going to show what the Gliders are about,” Davoli said.
"We've really been working on our archetype and identity, and I think it's ready to be seen by the world."
Head to IWBF for more.
