Elche Student Wins Gold at Vocational Training Olympics

Mario Gómez Cañadas, a student of 2nd year of Basic Vocational Training in Computing at IES Pedro Ibarra in Elche, has won the gold medal in the Cloud Computing category at the CVSkills 2025, the Vocational Training Olympics of the Valencian Community held at Feria Valencia from March 31 to April 4.

Mario, a student of the Basic Grade Vocational Cycle, excelled in a competition where most participants were from Intermediate and Higher Grades. "When I was informed that I could participate, I felt a mix of excitement and respect because I knew the level would be very high," Mario explains. "Even so, I decided to take the step because I wanted to challenge myself and learn from the experience."

Accompanied by his tutor, Ana Bertomeu, a Computing teacher at the school, Mario overcame various challenges over five intense days of competition to achieve the final victory. "Each day was a different challenge, and there were moments when I doubted if I could measure up, but the support from my tutor and classmates was crucial to not giving up," the young medalist comments. "I have learned a lot during this process and discovered that with effort and dedication, one can surpass limits that one never imagined."

Cloud computing is a modality of computing that uses cloud services and resources instead of relying on a company's or user's local infrastructure. Regarding his achievement, Mario adds: "I was awarded for using cloud services, in this case, Amazon's. It has been an incredible experience." His triumph in the Cloud Computing category came with a total score of 96.41 points, more than six points above the second place.

Looking ahead, Mario is already thinking about the next phase: "They have started preparing us for the national level, and I believe that if I prepare well, knowing that I have already won and am going to the national level, I have a chance. There are other autonomous communities that have not yet taken the test, so I have this time to train, and I think that if I prepare well and go mentally prepared, the national can also come home."

As a gold medalist, Mario will be part of the team representing the Valencian Community at the SpainSkills 2026. "Now I face the challenge of the SpainSkills with great enthusiasm. I know it will be even more demanding, but I am eager to continue learning and to represent my school and the Valencian Community as best as possible," Mario concludes.

The IES Pedro Ibarra organized a small celebration for Mario Gómez Cañadas and his tutor, attended by other vocational training teachers and classmates from the training cycles.