María Belón
María Belón | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1966 (age 59–60) Madrid, Spain |
| Occupations |
|
| Known for | Surviving the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami |
| Spouse | Enrique Álvarez |
| Children | 3 |
María Belón (born 1966)[1] is a Spanish physician and motivational speaker, best known for surviving the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami when she was on holiday in Thailand with her husband Enrique (Quique) Álvarez[2] and three sons Lucas, Simón, and Tomás. She was severely injured during the tsunami and nearly died.[3]
She was portrayed in the 2012 film The Impossible by Naomi Watts (with the name changed to Bennett), who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance.[4] The family's nationality was unspecified in the film.[5][6][7]
Depiction in media
Belón is credited in the cast of the 2012 film The Impossible for providing her story and working on the set in Thailand in the same locations as the original tsunami.[8] Belón was delighted with the selection of Naomi Watts to play her in the film, stating that Watts was her favorite actress after seeing the film 21 Grams. She worked with screenwriter Sergio G. Sánchez to ensure her story was accurately told.[9][10]
Belón has appeared on numerous television shows, including Charlie Rose and The View, discussing her experience of making the film and her family's experience of the tsunami. She has been outspoken regarding the fact that her story of survival is not the only one, and that she is only one of many who suffered and survived. She now works as an advocate for those still recovering from the effects of the tsunami. She has said of her experience,
The tsunami was an incredible gift. I embrace life. My whole life is extra time. There is no difference between me—a Spanish woman named María who is alive—and thousands of moms who are under the sea. I do not deserve to be alive, but life is not fair. I feel pain and compassion for so many others who didn't come back up or lost the ones they love. My whole story is on my body. And it is wonderful because it means I am alive.[11][12][13][14]
Advocacy
Since her recovery, Belón has become an international advocate for tsunami survivors and resilience in the face of trauma. She gives motivational talks about her experience during the 2004 tsunami and her two-year recovery process following severe injuries.[15]
In 2013 she was a guest lecturer at the Instituto de Cervantes in Gibraltar.[16] In 2015, she was the Spotlight Guest Speaker at the Share Iuvare Business Convention and also spoke at the World Business Forum, addressing themes of perseverance, family, and post-traumatic growth.
Her story, which took place in Khao Lak, Thailand, one of the hardest-hit areas in the 2004 disaster, has often been referenced in broader discussions about the international response, such as Operation Unified Assistance, and the long-term psychological impact on survivors featured in tsunami-related research and survivor networks.[17]
Personal life
She studied to be a physician and also previously worked as a professor of management with the ESADE Business School, and as a business consultant for companies like Pepsi. She has stated that some of her family is from the Canary Islands.[15]
References
- ^ Maria Belon story accessed 3/21/2015
- ^ Leonard, Elizabeth (21 January 2013). "Maria Belon: The Impossible's Real-Life Survivor". People.
- ^ Kenberr, Ben (14 December 2012). "Tsunami Survivor Maria Belon Reflects on 'The Impossible'". voices.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ^ Dawson, Angela (3 January 2013). "Maria Belon survived 'The Impossible'". frontrowfeatures.com. Archived from the original on 12 January 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ^ Howard, Courtney (13 December 2012). "INTERVIEW: Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, J.A. Bayona, Sergio G. Sánchez, Belén Atienza & Maria Belon Talk THE IMPOSSIBLE". Very Aware Movie Blog. Archived from the original on 19 December 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ^ Randolph, Grace (13 December 2012). "WATCH: Ewan McGregor & Naomi Watts Talking About Preparing For 'The Impossible'". Movieline. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ^ Hayes, Brogen (31 December 2012). "THE IMPOSSIBLE – Behind The Scenes". Movies.ie. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ^ von Tunzelmann, Alex (3 January 2013). "The Impossible submerges the true impact of the tsunami". The Guardian. London: GMG. ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ^ Fienberg, Daniel (19 December 2012). "Naomi Watts discusses the real life inspiration for The Impossible". HitFix. Archived from the original on 21 December 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ^ Maier, Jenni (21 December 2012). "The Impossible True Story: Maria Belon & Enrique Belon". crushable.com. Archived from the original on 1 March 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ^ Leonard, Elizabeth (21 January 2013). "Maria Belon: The Impossible's Real-Life Survivor". people.com. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ^ Parry, Tom (5 January 2013). "Miracle mum relives 2004 Tsunami ordeal which inspired new movie 'The Impossible'". Daily Record. Glasgow: Trinity Mirror. ISSN 0956-8069. OCLC 500344244. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ^ Curtis, Rachel (21 December 2012). "BBC News - Tsunami survivor's impossible story hits the big screen". BBC Online. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ^ Christy, George (2013). "The Impossible, Juan Antonio Bayona, The 2004 Thailand Tsunami, Ewan McGregor And More!". Beverly Hills Courier. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Maria Belon bio accessed 3/21/2015 - ^ World Business Forum 2015
- ^ ""The Impossible" Is the True Story of a Family That Survived the 2004 Tsunami". Oprah Daily. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
External links
- María Belón at IMDb
- María Belón interview (Red Carpet News Extra, posted to YouTube on 2013Jan27)