Norberto Mourao

Started: He took up Para canoe seriously in 2011 at Clube Atletico do Montijo in Portugal. (Facebook page, 07 Oct 2019; estesl.ipl.pt, 25 Oct 2012) Reason: After the motorbike accident in which he lost his legs, he wanted to strengthen his arms because he knew he would have to use them a lot. "Once I left the hospital I looked for a sport. A guy who used to do physiotherapy with me told me about a Portuguese athlete who practised Para canoe, Carol Ferreira. I reached her and tried it." (sportmagazine.pt, 05 May 2022) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (sportmagazine.pt, 05 May 2022) Milestones: He won Portugal's first canoe sprint medal at the Paralympic Games when he claimed bronze in the men's VL2 200m at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Jul 2024) He became the first Para canoeist representing Portugal to win a world championship medal when he claimed silver in the VL2 200m at the 2019 edition of the tournament in Szeged, Hungary. (SportsDeskOnline, 22 Nov 2020; canoeicf.com, 22 Sep 2020) Awards: He was named Para Athlete of the Year for 2023 by the Sport Confederation of Portugal. (fpcanoagem.pt, 06 May 2024; Instagram profile, 04 May 2024) In 2022 he was named Commander of the Order of Merit in Portugal in recognition of the bronze medal he won at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (universidade.fm, 12 Jan 2022) In 2019 he received the Stromp Award from Sporting Clube de Portugal. (Instagram profile, 19 Dec 2019)