Pilar entered the national team in 1982, training at the Moscardó Gymnasium in Madrid under the orders of Emilia Boneva and the group coach, Ana Roncero.

The members of the group were Pilar, Virginia Manzanera, María Fernández Ostolaza, Eva Obalat, Nancy Usero and Graciela Yanes, in addition to Rocío Ducay and Ofelia Rodríguez as substitutes.

In the World Championships in Valladolid in 1985, along María Fernández, Eva Obalat, Ofelia Rodríguez, Nancy Usero and Graciela Yanes, with Ester Domínguez, Rocío Ducay, Laura Manzanera and Estela Martín as substitutes, Spain was 7th in the All-Around.

[11] After Emilia Boneva's death on 20 September 2019, María and other former national gymnasts gathered to pay tribute to her during the Euskalgym held on 16 November 2019, the event took place before 8,500 attendees at the Bilbao Exhibition Center de Baracaldo and was followed by a dinner in her honor.

[13] At that time, what we wanted was to overthrow the Eastern countries [...] As the medals were always Russia, Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia, ours was a great milestone and the bronze in the European Championship was indeed a feat for the team .