Rildene Firmino
Brazilian Paralympic swimmer
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Rildene Fonseca Firmino (born 1974) is a retired Brazilian Paralympic swimmer who competed at international elite competitions, she is a double Parapan American Games champion and a two-time World bronze medalist.[1][2]
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 1974 (age 51–52) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.55 m (5 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 52 kg (115 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Brazil | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Paralympic swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability | Paraplegia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| S5, SB3, SM4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Disability
Firmino and her cousin Ivanildo Fonseca, both aged six at the time, were involved in a shooting incident. Fonseca got a hold of Firmino's grandfather's .38 caliber revolver and was play shooting the gun with Firmino, the gun had a single bullet in the drum and Firmino was shot in the T11 vertebra and it exited her right lung. Her injuries were so severe that she had near-fatal lung and liver complications and spent three days recovering in an intensive care unit at a nearby hospital. She was left with life-changing injuries and was paraplegic for the rest of her life.[3]