Gabrielzinho aims for Paralympic pool treble

AFP, Brazil :

His nickname might mean Little Gabriel, but even though he is just 1.21 metres (4 foot) tall, Gabriel dos Santos Araujo is a giant of Paralympic swimming.

“My name is Gabrielzinho and I’m going for three gold medals at the Paris Paralympics,” said the smiling 22-year-old Brazilian, before receiving a kiss on the forehead from Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, at an official ceremony last month in Brasilia.

Gabrielzinho’s objective at the Paralympics, which open on August 28, is to upgrade from the two golds and one silver he won at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

When he is not doing laps in the pool at Juiz de Fora, in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, Gabrielzinho is nurturing his popularity on Instagram, where he has over 50,000 followers.

As he has no hands or arms, he navigates his phone screen with his toes and uses this same technique to manipulate the joystick on his video game console — his other great passion.

To eat, he bends over to grab the food with his mouth, and then after meals he wedges an electric toothbrush between his toes to clean his teeth.

“I can’t count the number of obstacles I have to overcome every day, but it makes me stronger,” he told AFP.