There are times when we may see someone that doesn’t appear to be capable of doing great things. It’s unfortunate, but we do tend to judge things by what we see on the surface.
That might be how many people feel about Gabriel Araujo, a swimmer who was born with short legs and no arms. Looking at him, you would think that he would not be able to swim but seeing him in action is another story.
As a Paralympic, Gabriel swims in competitions with others who have limited mobility and other issues. When people saw him in the 2024 Paris Olympics, however, he did more than anybody could’ve expected.
He won the gold for the men’s 200 m freestyle, as well as the men’s 50 m backstroke and 200 m freestyle. He won the silver in the 100 m backstroke.
When he came to compete in Paris, he had a goal in mind. He wanted to do more than what he did in Tokyo, and he succeeded.
After waiting, he said: “I have a feeling of completed mission. I came all this way to Paris to win the three golds and now I’ve done it. I’m really happy.
“I feel like I am ‘The Rocket Man’. Rockets don’t go back, they always go straight and forwards.”
You can see him performing in this now viral video.
