Before becoming a Paralympic champion, Mariana D’Andrea says she was often defined by her disability. Today, the Brazilian is known instead for her achievements as a two-time gold medallist and one of the leading athletes in Para powerlifting.
D’Andrea made her Paralympic debut at Rio 2016, just two years after trying Para powerlifting for the first time. At Tokyo 2020, she became the first Brazilian Para powerlifter to top the Paralympic podium, winning the women’s up to 73kg division, before defending her title at Paris 2024.
“I remember that before I started powerlifting, people would look at me and ask to take photos with me just because of my disability. Sometimes they would make inappropriate jokes.
“(Now) they ask because I am a gold medallist, because I am an athlete. The public’s perception has changed a lot,” said D’Andrea, who is an athlete of short stature.
“I see how recognised I am, how much people are inspired by me, and that makes all the difference. Today, I don’t really see many limits. Paralympic sport can help people stop seeing disability negatively and always see the positive side.”
From Rio to double Paralympic podium
D’Andrea was introduced to Para powerlifting in 2014 when a coach invited her to learn more about the sport. She says her relationship with the sport “wasn’t love at first sight”, but it came at the right moment.
“I was finishing school and didn’t know what I would do, what degree I would pursue, or how I would manage it. I would have needed a job to pay for university,” the 28-year-old athlete said. “I never imagined I could become an athlete. It never crossed my mind until I discovered powerlifting, started practicing it, and won my first (Paralympic) medal.
“I think when I won, it really touched me deeply. The first medal, hearing my country’s anthem, making my family, my coach and everyone proud.”
While it was at Tokyo 2020 that she made history for Brazil, it was Rio 2016 where she first witnessed the power of the Paralympic Games. Competing on home soil, she could not register a successful lift in the women’s up to 61kg category, but the Games left a lasting impression on her.
“There was a change nationally, both in the way people with and without disabilities viewed disability itself,” she said.
“For people with disabilities, it meant seeing new athletes emerge. People ended up learning more about disabilities because they came to watch and it changed the way they thought about and saw disability.”
The Games also helped Brazil become one of the leading nations in Paralympic sport.
“We saw many athletes emerging and discovering great talents that we didn’t know existed before Rio, and now we know they are there and more keep coming.”
She went on to win gold at both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. While she was the only Brazilian Para powerlifting gold medallist in Japan, Tayana Medeiros topped the podium in the women’s up to 86kg category in the French capital.
Two years until LA28
With less than two years to go until the LA28 Paralympic Games, D’Andrea is preparing to make even more history.
“My preparation for Los Angeles 2028 has been very intense. We are dedicating ourselves tremendously.
“We already have two Paralympic gold medals, and we want to go after a third. For that to happen, we need to train every day, rest, and maintain good nutrition, because all of that will make the difference when it comes to winning.
“We are going to prepare hard to show all our talent and fight for another medal.”
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