He's 22 years old, studying Aerospace Engineering and is currently one of the national references when it comes to adaptive swimming. We're talking about Alexandre Couto, the Sporting Clube de Portugal athlete who is one of Bazar Desportivo's most recent partners, with whom we had the opportunity to chat and find out a little more about his career.
Clearly, a conversation as enriching as this had to be shared with the world. Why? Because we believe that Alexandre's story is an inspiration to us all. That's because throughout this conversation something became very clear: when there's passion, effort and dedication, anything is possible! And Alexandre's journey is proof of that!
Who is Alexandre?
Born in Santo Tirso but currently living in Lisbon, Alexandre is a Sporting Clube de Portugal athlete, class S9 in adaptive swimming and national champion in the 400m and 50m freestyle.
In addition to his career, Alexandre has also been mapping out his future in the world of Aerospace Engineering - a course he is studying at the Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon and which he combines with his life as an athlete.
How did Alexandre's passion for adaptive swimming come about?
Alexandre, who suffers from a rare syndrome, told us that his passion for swimming is inherently linked to his health problem. Although it has been with him since birth, Alexandre's illness only began to manifest itself when he was four years old. This was when he was advised to start swimming.
Initially, Alexandre started swimming at the municipal pool in his neighbourhood. Later he joined a club and at the age of 12 he was invited to take part in competitions. Dedicated and always focussed on achieving his goals, Alexandre accepted the challenge and entered competitions. At the time, "pure" swimming competitions.
However, due to his health conditions, it became difficult for Alexandre to take part in pure swimming competitions, which led him to distance himself from the sport and create a certain rebellion towards it.
Despite his disillusionment with the sport, Alexandre remained focussed on achieving his goals and therefore stayed focused on his studies. Unfortunately, after a few years away from swimming, Alexandre's health condition worsened and he was asked to practise physical exercise on a daily basis, namely swimming, because according to him, there are no limits in the water. And here began a new phase in Alexandre's life. His passion for swimming returned, the right people came along, advice was given and his dedication remained the same as ever. And it was from here that Alexandre contacted S. C. Portugal, where he ended up being recruited and joining.
What are Alexandre's biggest challenges?
According to the athlete, there are two types of challenges: those that are inherent to him and those that are not. Among the challenges that are not inherent to him, Alexandre highlights the IPC (International Paralympic Committee) regulations. This is because, in one of his many surgeries, several screws were placed in his spine and the IPC doesn't consider them, which ends up affecting his classification.
Among the challenges inherent to himself, the swimmer emphasises the psychological aspect.
Most memorable moments along the way
Alexandre highlighted two of the most memorable moments along his journey in the world of adaptive swimming:
- Firstly, the moment when his team won the first national team championship in Abrantes (since adaptive swimming became part of the Portuguese Swimming Federation);
- As a second moment, perhaps a little more personal, he highlights the moment when he became national champion in the 400m and 50m freestyle and runner-up in the 100m freestyle and 200 freestyle.
Alexandre currently holds national records in the 400 freestyle. A more demanding event, it consists of 100 metres in each style - butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle.
What advice does Alexandre have for other aspiring Paralympic swimmers who are just starting out?
Answering our question, Alexandre didn't hesitate to share some tips for other athletes who have just entered or are looking to enter the world of adaptive swimming and paralympic sport. Firstly, he advises managing expectations well and never giving up. Secondly, he suggests maintaining hope in society and maintaining effort and dedication.
Alexandre's future goals
The adaptive swimming athlete's main future goals are twofold:
- To finish his Aerospace Engineering degree and enter his professional field;
- Representing Portugal in an international competition.
Watch the full conversation
We know that there are words that only make sense when accompanied by expressions and reactions. That's why we invite you to watch our conversation with Alexandre Couto in full here.
Finally, after letting you know a little more about the adapted swimming athlete's journey, we invite you to follow his path closely and keep abreast of all his achievements, because we believe that Alexandre is undoubtedly an inspiration to us all!
