Virtus Ambassador Gabriel Bandeira Ready To Dive Into Record-Breaking Swims At Paris 2024

Gabriel Bandeira, a young and talented para swimmer from Brazil, has been making waves in the world of para-swimming with his remarkable performances. Bandeira is not only a Virtus Ambassador but also holds the title of a Paralympic – Virtus Global Games and World champion. Born in the countryside of São Paulo State, Indiatuba, Bandeira’s journey in the sport began when he was drawn to a swimming competition he witnessed.

Completely unaware of having an intellectual impairment, Bandeira was actually preparing to compete at the Olympic Games one day. However, he struggled with mainstream swimming training, finding it difficult to memorize and perform certain aspects. It was then that Luiz Candido, a coach from Indaiatuba, recognized Bandeira’s unique abilities and the difficulties he was facing and encouraged him to undergo medical testing, which eventually led to his classification as a para-athlete. The transition from Olympic to Paralympic training was a smooth one for Bandeira, as he finally found his place where he could truly be himself.  

“I felt embraced by the Paralympic Movement. It was a very peaceful and light process. I felt like I really could be myself. While I was training with the Olympic athletes, the coach gave the same instructions to the whole team and everybody followed them. But, in the Paralympics training, the coach pays attention to each swimmer according to their impairment. For example, he prints my training so that I don’t struggle with memorising it, he explains it carefully and depending on the situation he knows how to talk to me. When he gives constructive feedback to me, it takes me some time to process it and I can also be aggressive or very sad about it, and the coach stays very calm and patient with me the whole time whilst motivating me until I understand my fault so I do not drop my performance during the session and to improve it instead,” Bandeira told Virtus.  

His goal, which had been to compete in the Olympics since childhood, shifted to the Paralympic Games, a dream he realized and lived at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. 

With an astounding debut on the international stage at the 2020 World Para Swimming European Open Championships in Portugal, this Brazilian athlete left an indelible mark on the sport. With six gold medals adorning his debut, Bandeira not only clinched victory but also shattered his own Americas records eight times throughout the event.  

Later, at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, the audience witnessed his brilliance as he secured gold in the 100m butterfly (with a Paralympic record), two silvers in 200m freestyle and 200m medley (America’s record) and one bronze in 4x100m freestyle relay (America’s record). Continuing his reign, Bandeira triumphed at the 2023 Parapan American Games with an impressive five gold medals. Bandeira later won eleven gold and three silver at the 2023 Virtus Global Games.

With each stroke, each victory, Bandeira’s legacy grows, inspiring a new generation of athletes to reach for the stars and redefine what’s possible in the world of Para swimming. 

When asked about his goals, Bandeira’s ambition shines through.  

“I want to swim in as many races as possible and win all the gold medals I can and have fun,” he says.  

His competitive spirit and self-motivation drive him to continuously push his limits and compete against his own performances. 

For aspiring young athletes, Bandeira’s advice is simple yet profound. 

“As a child, they need to have fun first, so in the end, the results can come easier. It will not be easy, but it will be natural.“ 

With his unwavering determination, remarkable talent, and the support of his family, Gabriel Bandeira has set his eyes on more gold medals and World Records at the upcoming Paralympic Games, in Paris 2024.  

Join Virtus’ #MakingInvisibleVISIBLE campaign in making Bandeira’s journey Visible. 

WHAT IS INTELLECTUAL IMPAIRMENT? 

Intellectual impairment is an umbrella term to describe a vast and neuro-diverse group of people with varying types of cognitive impairments including intellectual disability, Down syndrome and autism. Having an intellectual impairment impacts how an athlete understands the rules of the sport, interacts with other players, and adjusts to different environments. They might find it difficult to manage reaction times, remember specific race or game strategies, retain focus for long period of time, or maintaining impulse control.