Gabriel Bandeira

Started: He began swimming at age 10 in Indaiatuba, Brazil. He took part in non-disabled swimming competitions at national level in Brazil before he started competing in Para swimming in 2020. (istoe.com.br, 02 Mar 2020; bestswim.com.br, 02 Feb 2020) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (agenciaminas.mg.gov.br, 12 Dec 2023) Additional Info: EARLY DAYS He was born to a teenage mother in Indaiatuba, Brazil. He was raised by his grandmother and began swimming at age 10 but he had difficulty understanding swimming lessons, as well as the directions of his teachers at school. He started out competing against non-disabled swimmers, including at national championship level, but he was later encouraged by coach Luiz Antonio Candido to undergo testing. It was discovered that he was eligible to be classified as a Para swimmer with an intellectual impairment, and in 2020 he relocated from Belo Horizonte to Uberlandia to join the Para swimming team at Praia Clube. "I cannot pay attention nor stay quiet. It is also hard for me to memorise things." (istoe.com.br, 02 Mar 2020) AMBASSADOR In 2022 he became an ambassador for the International Sports Federation for Athletes with an Intellectual Impairment [VIRTUS]. "I am honoured with this opportunity. I would like people to talk more about intellectual impairment because I feel that people still misjudge our capacities. As an ambassador I want to promote this kind of communication." (agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br, 10 Aug 2022)