With the support of the government of Pará, Paralympic athlete wins two silvers and qualifies for national championships
Emanuelly Braga stands out at the Paralympic Meeting in Macapá and strengthens her path towards high performance
With the support of the Government of Pará, through the State Secretariat of Sports and Leisure (Seel), the 18-year-old Paralympic athlete from Pará, Emanuelly Braga, shone at the Macapá stage of the Loterias Caixa Paralympic Meeting 2025, held last Saturday (9). The young athlete won two silver medals in the club throw and shot put events, in the F32 class, designated for athletes with severe cerebral palsy.
The performance secured the athlete's qualification for the 2025 Loterias Caixa Brazilian Youth Athletics Championship, in the Under-20 category. The competition will take place from October 14 to 16, at the Paralympic Training Center in São Paulo.
Talent in the national spotlight
The Macapá stage brought together around 120 athletes from different states, competing in athletics and archery events, organized by the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB). The event was held at the Zerão Stadium and the Avertino Ramos Gymnasium, featuring prominent names in national parasports, as well as rising young talents.
The State Secretary of Sports and Leisure, Cássio Andrade, celebrated the result of the athlete from Pará. “I am very happy for another achievement of our Emanuelly, who shone and represented our state very well in another national competition. This achievement fills us with pride and shows that the support of the Government of Pará is essential to lead our athletes to great feats at the national and international levels,” he stated.
Overcoming and new challenges
Making her debut in the F32 functional class, Emanuelly competed in seated field events, in modalities that require strength and technique. The club throw, exclusive to parasports, consists of throwing a device similar to a rhythmic gymnastics ball. The shot put requires precision and power.
Coach Reyel Aquino, who accompanies the young athlete, highlighted Emanuelly's potential for the future of parasports in Pará. “I am very proud. This is just the first step, because we invest in the athlete and see in her a future talent. Just as we hear the names of many young Paralympians across Brazil, we also want Emanuelly's name to be a reference here in our state,” pointed out the coach.
Constant progress and historic marks
The achievements in Macapá followed a significant result achieved by the athlete at the Belém stage of the Meeting, held on August 2, at the Olympic Stadium of Pará – the Mangueirão. In the Petra T72 running event, Emanuelly surpassed her previous mark (23.13s), reaching a time of 20.94 seconds. This performance secured her qualification for the Adult National Championship, scheduled for December in São Paulo.
“I was very proud of her result at the Meeting at Mangueirão. She qualified for the main national championships, both in the Youth and Adult categories, and also achieved the best mark of her life. With 20.94, she would be at the top of last year's adult national ranking,” emphasized Reyel Aquino.
Sport as a tool for transformation
The athlete's mother, Janete Braga, closely followed her daughter's evolution and shared the emotion of seeing her overcome limits. “Sport has given a new life to Manu. Today, seeing her competing at a high level is an immense joy. I am very proud because even with her limitations, she does not give up fighting. As a mother of a person with a disability, I know firsthand the difficulties of achieving goals. I participated in all the competitions, but these last two were truly uplifting,” she shared emotionally.
Janete also reinforced the importance of institutional support. “More than medals, events like the Meeting reinforce the power of sport as a tool for inclusion, overcoming, and social transformation. The support of the State Government, through Seel, has been essential for athletes like Manu to have the conditions to train, compete, and inspire new generations,” she concluded.
Text: Bianca Nogueira, under the supervision of Jessé Lima, communication coordinator/Seel
