Gabriel Bandeira doesn’t seem to have any visible disability to be participating in the Paralympics. When the word disability is said, people often tend to think of a blind person or an amputee. If that is the matter, then why is Bandeira on the Summer Paralympics?
Gabriel is a Brazillian swimmer who currently represents his country in Tokyo Paralympics.
He scored his country’s first gold in the 100m butterfly class S14. The swimmer finished in the time of 54s76 and set a whole new Paralympic record in the race. Even though he is physically fit, he has an intellectual disability, making him eligible for class S14.
Gabriel Bandeira Disability
Gabriel Bandeira’s disability is not concerned with his physical state, but it has to do with his intellectual impairment.
He is diagnosed as an intellectually disabled person. That means his IQ is below 75, whereas a regular person has around 90-109. Many people often confuse that with ADHD, but that is different and is not the case to be eligible for Paralympics.
The Paralympics committee has separated the competition by various forms of disability, and S14 was made for the swimmers with intellectual disabilities.
Bandeira has been tested by a neuropsychologist who has determined that the swimmer has ADHD and some trait of autism and lesser than the average IQ, which is the main reason for him to be qualified in the Paralympics.
Regardless of his intellectual state, the Brazillian swimmer is swift on the water and has defeated fellow swimmers in the men’s swimming competition.
Gabriel Bandeira Age
Gabriel Bandeira is currently 21 years of age.
The young swimmer was born on 29 October 1999 in Indaiatuba, Brazil. He started swimming at the young age of 10 but often had problems understanding and memorizing the lessons.
Despite that, he still came through and competed with non-disabled competitors, including in the National Championships.
Gabriel Bandeira Parents
The names of Gabriel’s parents have not been disclosed yet.
He was born to a teenage mother and was mostly raised by his grandmother. Bandeira’s family has always encouraged him to give his best even if he was not intellectually able.
Gabriel’s coach encouraged him to find out if he was eligible to participate as a para swimmer. After he was qualified, he moved to Uberlandia to join the para swim team at Praia Clube.
Gabriel Bandeira Partner
Gabriel is not known to have a partner yet.
He has just started making his mark on the international level by winning the gold for his country. With his hard work and determination, the young swimmer is yet to achieve more in the swimming events.
Find Gabriel On Instagram
Gabriel is on Instagram as @flag.bill.
His verified IG account has over 7600 followers. The gold medalist loves posting about his performance along with his teammates.
He is often seen leading the scoreboard in the world para-swimming, and with his recent victory, Bandeira has more gold medals to add to his collection.