Silvana Mayara Cardoso Fernandes

Started: She got involved in Para sport at age 14 with the javelin throw. She took up Para taekwondo in 2018. (olimpiadatododia.com.br, 26 May 2020) Reason: She switched from javelin throw to Para taekwondo. "When I began practising [Para] sport, I had a goal to join the national team. But in the list of events for the [2019] Parapan [American Games in Lima, Peru], the javelin throw in my class was not there. So my dream to be part of the national team ceased. Then I learned about Para taekwondo. I did the test and discovered I had potential." (TV Correio YouTube channel, 21 Aug 2019) Ambition: To win gold at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (ge.globo.com, 12 Jan 2024) Milestones: At the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo she became the first female Brazilian taekwondoka to win a Paralympic medal when she claimed bronze in the women's -58kg category. The day before, her compatriot Nathan Torquato had won Brazil's first Paralympic medal in the sport with gold in the men's -61kg category. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Jul 2024) Awards: She was named 2023 Para Taekwondo Athlete of the Year in the Americas by the Pan American Taekwondo Union [PATU]. (portalcorreio.com.br, 30 Jan 2024) In 2023 she received the Premio Paralimpico [Paralympic Award] for Para Taekwondo Athlete of the Year from the Brazilian Paralympic Committee. (olimpiadatododia.com.br, 13 Dec 2023) Additional Info: EDUCATION She has studied physical education at the UNIESP University Centre in Brazil. (maispb.com.br, 02 Apr 2024)