Fernando Rufino de Paulo

Started: He took up Para canoe in 2012. (olimpiadasdorio2016.com, 31 Jul 2016) Reason: He has competed as a rodeo bull rider and had a desire to travel the world. He wanted to get involved in another sport that would help him do that. "I had a goal at the rodeo and canoeing was the continuation of that. I only changed my modality, but I continued with the same objective to travel abroad and to know other cultures and languages. I was going to ride a bull for this. At the time, if you were a champion of Barretos, you would go to Las Vegas to represent Brazil. It ended up not working out at the rodeo and I thought, 'I'm going to go to another sport'. I spent three or four years recovering and I knew Para canoe. I liked the sport." (lance.com.br, 23 Sep 2018) Milestones: He became the first paddler representing Brazil to win a gold medal at the Paralympic Games by claiming victory in the VL2 200m at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. (SportsDeskOnline, 26 Jan 2024) Awards: In 2021 and 2023 he received the 'Premio Paralimpico' [Paralympic Award] as Canoeist of the Year from the Brazilian Paralympic Committee [CPB]. (olimpiadatododia.com.br, 13 Dec 2023; cpb.org.br, 01 Dec 2023)