CNN —
Table tennis player Bruna Alexandre will make history later this year as the first Brazilian to compete in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Earlier this week, the Brazilian Table Tennis Federation announced that Alexandre, a one-armed athlete who won four Paralympic medals, will be part of the team competing at the upcoming Paris Olympics.
“I never thought I would live my life enduring so many challenges that life has thrown at me since I was two months old. But today I celebrate, sing, cry, and love myself. A journey to become the first athlete in Brazilian history to be called up to the same Olympic and Paralympic Games! ” Alexandre wrote on Instagram on Wednesday.
“When I was just a baby, when my parents were still crying over losing my arm, they heard that I would one day be very proud of them, and I would like to share this accomplishment with them. And what I was able to share with you reminds me that it belongs to God.'' Dreams never die, because God creates winners in losing scenarios. be. ”
Alexandre had his right arm amputated after developing a blood clot as a baby, but competed against able-bodied athletes at last year's Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
The 29-year-old will now compete in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, alongside South African track and field athlete Oscar Pistorius and Polish table tennis player Natalia Partica.
Patika became the youngest Paralympian in table tennis history when she competed at the 2000 Sydney Games at just 11 years old, and eight years later became the first table tennis player to compete in both the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics.
“I have always been inspired by everything Natalia Partika has achieved in her career,” Alexandre told Olympic.com earlier this year. “I was so inspired by her that I focused on beating her and was able to accomplish that last year.
“I continue to be inspired by her. I think she is the beginning of the history of table tennis. She played Olympic and Paralympic table tennis together and that has been a huge inspiration to me. Ta.”
