Gymnast Barbara Gonzalez is new `Martini girl`

Madrid: Following in the footsteps of actresses Charlize Theron and Monica Bellucci, gymnast Barbara Gonzalez has become the first Spaniard to represent the Martini image worldwide.

"I`m really happy, it`s like a dream. I`m going to work very hard so as not to disappoint all those putting their trust in me," she said Tuesday in a press release. The 27-year-old Gonzalez said that she always looks "on the bright side" of things and from any mistakes tries to learn a lesson that will help her improve. The young woman, who as an athlete was on Spain`s rhythmic gymnastics team at the Athens and Beijing Olympics, tries to get the most fun out of everything she does. "My slogan is: when you do things whole-heartedly and you really love and believe in what you`re doing, it makes the difficult easy," she said. Gonzalez, who was chosen by a jury to embody the brand`s values - "Luck is an Attitude" - will be the Martini image in all its events and campaigns of 2013, a year that marks the firm`s 150th anniversary. The current Martini man, Yuri Buzzi, has said that ever since he laid eyes on Barbara Gonzalez he knew she was going to be the winner - not an easy task either, since more than 3,500 young women from 23 countries were in the running. IANS