In 2011 she began to stand out in athletics, especially in hurdles and heptathlon. At a single Canary Islands Championship she took four gold medals (100 m and 300 m hurdles, javelin and another event she can’t remember) and became the most decorated athlete of the season. Her future seemed set… until a minor knee injury and an operation changed everything.

Far from giving up, Julia found a new passion almost by chance. After working as a waitress at the Windsurf and Kitesurf World Championship in Fuerteventura, “La Carpa”, she rode on the back of one of the competitors as a «backpack»: that moment changed everything. A year later she accepted a swap: kite lessons in exchange for taking photos of the instructor (back then Julia dreamed of becoming a photographer one day). That summer marked another before and after; from then on she spent every day at the beach, covering 60 km to train without a driving licence (by bus, hitchhiking or carrying her gear from school).

At first she trained with borrowed gear. Little by little, with all kinds of jobs and thanks to photography prizes (her other great passion), she managed to buy her first board (a North Soleil 2011). A year later, in 2012, she dared to compete at the Spanish Championship in Lanzarote, where she surprised everyone with a 3rd place in freestyle and waves, and shortly afterwards she finished third at the Tarifa Masters of Kite.

2016‑2019 Golden years: World runner-up

Without a doubt, Julia Castro’s golden years and her international breakthrough, when she turned an injury into a historic take-off both at home and worldwide.

• 4-time Spanish wakeboard champion (2016-2019)
• 6th at the Open European Championship (the first Spanish woman to reach the final in the history of the sport).
• Kite Park League (KPL) World runner-up 2018
• 7th at the Cable Wakeboard World Championship (IWWF, 2018) and part of the winning team at Red Bull Tarifa 2 (2019) in the team category.
  

Post COVID, reinvention as a Waterwoman:

The era of versatility and 360º communication: from winning in waves and qualifying for the Wingfoil World Championship to becoming the first Canarian to handle the online communication of the 2024 Olympic Games

• In 2022 she finished 1st in Waves at the GWA Iberian Wingfoil Tour Nalu Galicia, which qualified her for the Wingfoil World Championship.
• In 2024, when Kitefoil joined the Olympic programme in Paris, she didn’t compete: she worked for World Sailing as online communication and content manager, the first Canarian and possibly the first Spanish woman to take on that role

Beyond competition: 360º sports communication

Alongside her sporting career, Julia has built a solid professional profile as a Community Manager and sports digital creator. She has led the communication of more than 70 international events (you can find more information about the events and clients here). A specialist in content for social media, a presenter, and in sponsor management and engagement strategies. She has been a speaker at the Yacht Racing Forum twice (2024 and 2025).

She speaks Spanish, English, German, Italian and understands some Danish.

Today

Today Julia defines herself as a Waterwoman: a versatile athlete who enjoys every discipline she can (kitesurf, wingfoil, Foil Drive) and still competes when she can, although it is no longer her main activity. She continues to run kite, wingfoil and Foil Drive camps around the world, but 70% of her work now focuses on sailing and Foil Drive events, where she handles the online communication.

You can follow her day to day, her adventures, tutorials and event coverage on:
Instagram: @fuertejulia