Before his last race, Friday, September 6, in the Paris La Défense Arena, the goal of three gold medals was reached for Gabriel dos Santos Araujo, known as “Gabrielzinho”. The Brazilian Paralympic swimmer has largely made the buzz in the French capital.
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He undulates underwater like a dolphin, using only the strength of his torso and pelvis. In Paris, the 22-year-old swimmer, 1.21 meters tall, with no arms and atrophied legs, won three gold medals in the 100m backstroke, the 50m backstroke, and the 200m freestyle, in the S2 category, the one reserved for swimmers with a ” severe physical impairment “.
A little dance to celebrate his titles
“Gabrielzinho” (little Gabriel), who suffers from phocomelia, a congenital malformation caused by the arrest of the development of one or more limbs during pregnancy, and who was the flag bearer for the Brazilian delegation at the opening ceremony, put on a show and the Parisian public adopted him very quickly. After each gold medal, he bows to the spectators, then takes a sip at the edge of the pool before letting out a huge jet of water. On the podium, he enjoys performing a little dance.
His athletic career paralympic debuted at the Tokyo Games, where he reached the podium three times. In Japan, he won two Olympic titles in the 50m backstroke and 200m freestyle. Not to mention a silver medal in the 100m backstroke. There, “Gabrielzinho”, pushed into sport and swimming by his mother from a very young age, did not have the chance to enjoy the fans who were absent due to Covid-19.
” Because they wanted him to have a normal childhood, they took him to a club where there was a swimming pool. At 4 or 5 years old, he already knew how to swim, even though he didn’t have arms. I think it was a gift he received from God. “, his mother told AFP.
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He always wanted to be independent
“Gabrielzinho”, a football fan, is one of the faces of the Paralympic movement in his country. He has more than 300,000 followers on his Instagram account. The man wants to be seen as a top athlete. In Juiz de Fora, in the state of Minas Gerais (southeast of Brazil), he trains six days a week and does weight training.
” My story with water is really very special. In the city where I live, Corinto, it was always very hot, it was impossible not to go into the water. I almost drowned several times, and the more it happened, the more I wanted to learn to swim and surpass myself. It should have been a trauma but, on the contrary, it was the trigger for my greatest passion. When I am in the water, I am in my element, I cut myself off from the outside world and I am in symbiosis with the water. When I get to the pool, I am completely transformed. I forget all the problems of life and all the trials I have been through. I always wanted to be independent, and the pool allowed me to do that. ” he says in the documentary Body and soul.
A charismatic and cheerful boy
In an interview with our colleague from the Brazilian editorial team of RFI, his coach talks about the public’s reaction to the swimmer’s talent. For us he is an extra source of energy, he is a charismatic and cheerful boy and it is great to show that people with disabilities can be happy, have fun and occupy any place in society. “, he says. “Gabrielzinho” wants above all ” contribute to changing mentalities, whether in the Paralympic movement or in society in general “. And the swimmer in “ would be very happy “.
“ There are people who do not have a disability and who think they do not know how to swim or will never learn. He gives an example of social inclusion through sport “, a swimming teacher from Rio tells us correspondent in Brazil.
“ He makes us very proud. He embodies self-improvement, he proves to us that nothing is impossible for human beings. His desire to win, his technique despite the limits he has… it’s exceptional “, says a carioca. In Paris, far from his native Brazil, “little Gabriel” has become a giant of Paralympic swimming.
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