Luis Carlos Cardoso da Silva

Started: He took up Para canoe in 2011. (paralympic.org, 20 Nov 2015) Reason: He got involved in the sport as a means of keeping fit. "I realised during my rehab that sporting activities in the wheelchair would be a way to break the routine of going to physical therapy and going back home to watch television." (paralympic.org, 20 Nov 2015) Awards: In 2014, 2015, and 2019 he received the 'Premio Paralimpico' [Paralympic Award] as Canoeist of the Year from the Brazilian Paralympic Committee [CPB]. (cpb.org.br, 01 Dec 2023) Additional Info: DANCE BACKGROUND Before taking up Para sport he was a professional dancer for nine years. After his diagnosis he took up both Para canoe and wheelchair basketball but chose to commit to the former. "I see kayaking as a dance. While dancing you have the choreography in your head, but there can always be something unexpected. In canoeing it is the same, the only difference is the context in which the movements are executed." (paralympic.org, 20 Nov 2015)