The PanAmerican Championships – Sarasota, FL (March 11th)

Greetings fellow supporters of Team PossAbilities! We were off to a great start on the first race of the year — I was very pleased to start with a podium! (3rd) The race was on my 6th Ampuversary, so it was a very special day for me and those around me. 

Race happened on the same place as last year’s, and it was great seeing all my friends from Team Brazil, who I hadn’t seen since Rotterdam last year in September. 

Always nice to get on site a couple days earlier and train with my Country mates. One thing that got us a bit worried was a couple alligators we saw on the creeks that ran into the lake we swam! But I figured if they’re having the race there it should be fine, and after all, Florida is alligator country!

It’s exciting to start this new cycle, shall we call it “Road to Tokyo”??? One of the great things that happened was the reclassification of all athletes, and many changed categories. On our case, it’s now called PTS2, and the Cerebral Palsy athletes are (mostly) on a category of their own, which is more fair. Of course there’s still amazing amputee athletes that I will face every time, but it’s a relief knowing that the field is more leveled.

What was super cool also was the support that the coaches and supervisors from Team Brazil gave us. They had walkie talkies and were spread out around the course, giving us tips on how far we were (ahead or behind) from the competition. It was super professional and stimulant.

This is it for now folks. Next stop: one of my favorite places in the world, Australia!