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Arena Carioca 3 athlete wins silver in the Brazilian Paralympic Weightlifting Championship
Published on 06/05/2022 - 12:18 | Updated
Thiago Nogueira won the silver medal in the up to 59kg category - Disclosure Paralympic weightlifter Thiago Nogueira, from Instituto Victorem, won the silver medal at the Brazilian Paralympic Weightlifting Championship in the under 5kg category on Thursday (5/59) at the Barra da Tijuca Olympic Park. After a serious accident in 2008, Thiago managed to get back on his feet, meet people in similar situations and turn things around with support, training and a lot of dedication. Third in the Brazilian ranking, he climbed another step towards his goal of becoming number one in the country.
– I have always been very active, practicing various physical activities such as swimming, judo, volleyball, bodybuilding and futsal. But on June 13, 2008, I was involved in a train accident at Madureira station (North Zone of Rio) when I was returning from work. My right leg and left foot were amputated. Despite the severity of the accident, I only spent a week in the hospital. From then on, my life changed completely. I became a sedentary person, who needed help even with daily tasks, such as taking a shower and going to the bathroom. I needed someone by my side for everything, and this was a huge shock in my life. Two months after the accident, I started attending the Associação Brasileira Beneficente de Reabilitação (ABBR) to try to adapt to my new life. And it was there that I met new people in situations that were identical or even worse than mine. With that, I realized that I had to do something for myself, that I should not let the facts get me down and start my life over again. Today was a huge achievement in my life as an athlete. I overcame pain, discomfort and setbacks, but it’s not over, there’s more this year. Now it’s time to breathe, go back to my family, relax for a few days and get back to training. I have a lot to improve on – said the athlete.
The partnership between Instituto Victorem and the Municipal Department of Sports was signed in July 2021 and currently serves ten people with disabilities. The goal is to provide social inclusion through sport, get these people out of their homes, make them accept their own reality and have motivation for their lives with the project.
Classes at Arena Carioca 3 are taught by the teacher and coordinator of Instituto Victorem, Cátia Portilho, and by assistant coach Bruno Vieira. In 1992, she lost her father in a car accident, which also left her brother disabled. Three years later, he also lost his life, further increasing the drama for the then journalist, who also almost died due to complications from dental surgery in 2012. The problems made Cátia rethink her concepts and decide that she needed to do something so that people with physical disabilities would understand that it is possible to move forward.
– When my brother gave up on life, I changed a lot. Everything that happened really affected my mind and I decided to get into this field. I improved and started dedicating my life to Paralympic sports. Regarding Thiago’s achievement, I am very proud, because he faced tough opponents with serenity and confidence. He certainly has a brilliant path in weightlifting – said Cátia.
For the Secretary of Sports for the city of Rio, Francisco Bandeira, sport and inclusion need to go hand in hand:
– I’m happy to know that the work done by Cátia and the entire team at Arena 3 is paying off. The space is amazing, the equipment is state-of-the-art and the professionals are super dedicated. Obviously, we want top athletes to come out of our sports facilities and make history, but the main goal is to provide these people with lifelong motivation – he commented.
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