Para badminton coach from Brazil, Claudia Dionice Carvalho Mendes, has contributed to the development of our sport in her country and in our region, achieving good results, but, above all, investing her time in improving the quality of life of people through sport .
Physical education teacher and with post-graduate studies in Inclusive Education, Claudia met our sport in 2015, and from there she has worked with differents athletes who represent Brazil in international competitions.
“At the end of 2014, I received an invitation from Professor Letisson Samarone to work on a Sports Initiation project to develop Paralympic Sport. I accepted the invitation and in 2015, Letisson introduced me to Para badminton. From there we began to develop and strengthen the Para badminton, mainly in the Federal District, inBrasilia. Today we have students and athletes of different levels and ages. ”
“Today, the public policies of our State have prioritized the teaching of Paralympic sport to children and adolescents, but we have managed to demonstrate that we have many eligible adults and with the ability to develop a brilliant career within Para badminton.”
There are many good things that the sport has given Claudia, both in the results that her athletes have achieved, as well as in the different circumstances surrounding the life of a coach.
“The gains are many: friendships, not only in Brazil but in various parts of the world, the opportunity to learn more about the universe of Paralympic athletes and to change the perspective of what really matters in life, and without a doubt, the everyday experiences with my students and athletes, whether in the classes, in competitions and in everyday situations.”
The experience in the sport has allowed her to know all the benefits that an athlete can receive and this encourages her to want to spread the Badminton more in her country and that athletes can continue to improve and achieve better results.
“I would like to make Para Badminton a widely known sport, giving children, teenagers, youngsters and adults opportunities to practice it. And that our athletes represent Brazil in competition with an increasingly refined quality Badminton with conditions to conquer important results, as happened at the Parapan American Games Lima 2019. ”
Many difficulties can come along the way to get what we want but, for Claudia, success is a matter of time, perseverance and resilience.
“There are no limits to achieve what you want. When you want something with sincerity and run behind your goals with responsibility, boldness and a lot of willpower, the results will certainly come. The most important thing is not to give in to difficulties, but to set goals in the short, medium and long term, always be willing to learn and face the challenges. Success is a matter of time, perseverance and resilience. It is necessary to maintain focus and have faith, always!”
Photo Credit: BPAC | SN
