Gabriel dos Santos Araujo is known as Little Gabriel, yet despite his diminutive stature of 1.21 meters (4 feet), he is a behemoth in the Paralympic swimming world.
“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.
With the Paralympics starting on August 28, Gabrielzinho hopes to improve on the two golds and one silver he took home from the Tokyo Games three years prior.
In the southeast Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, Gabrielzinho maintains his popularity on Instagram, where he has amassed over 50,000 followers, when he isn’t swimming laps in the pool at Juiz de Fora.
Because he lacks hands or arms, he uses his toes to browse the phone’s screen. His other big interest is using his toes to control the joystick on his video game system.
He stoop to get food with his lips when he eats, and he cleans his teeth with an electric toothbrush by putting it between his toes afterward.
“I can’t count the number of obstacles I have to overcome every day, but it makes me stronger,” he told AFP.
His coach Fabio Pereira Antunes said he is a marvel.
“The first thing that impressed me was his dexterity outside the pool. He has great motor coordination and is very intelligent, which enables him to overcome all these obstacles on a daily basis,” said Antunes.
“Once I saw him in the water, I discovered all his potential. He has a champion’s mentality and knows how to handle pressure.”
Gabrielzinho has phocomelia, a disorder that stops a developing baby’s limbs from growing while the mother is carrying the child.
