Brazil's most successful Paralympian Adria Santos said on Wednesday how hosting the 2016 Paralympics offers them a chance to soar up the rankings.
Santos, who won her first sprint gold in Barcelona in 1992 after battling congenital eye problems as a youngster before losing her sight completely in 1994, said she would never forget the memory of first competing as a 14-year-old in 1988.
She gave birth to a daughter just a year later but returned to the track and, after a trio of silver medals in Atlanta in 1996, she landed a 100m and 200m double in Sydney in 2000.
"These are very important times for Paralympic sport. There has been a huge evolution in recent years," said the 40-year-old as she proudly explained the history behind several of the medals slung around her neck.
"I owe what I am today to the Brazilian Paralympic Confederation," added Santos, pausing to wipe away tears of emotion.
In all, 4,350 athletes from 176 countries will compete in the Paralympics, which will be bidding to build on the huge success from the 2012 edition in London where athletes competed in front of sell out crowds.
Source: AFP