Alexandre Couto, a student of Aerospace Engineering at the Instituto Superior Técnico and an adapted swimming athlete from Sporting Clube de Portugal, will represent Portugal at the World Para Swimming Series in Japan, between April 10 and 12, 2025.

At 23 years old, Alexandre Couto is already a four-time national champion in the S9 class – a category that includes athletes with "joint restrictions in one or both lower limbs below the knee" (Portuguese Federation of Sport for Disabled People). The student has won national titles in the 400m, 100m, and 50m freestyle events, as well as the 100m backstroke, and holds the national record in the 400m individual medley. The World Para Swimming Series will be his first international competition.

This first international experience is a big step for me. I want to learn, evolve, and, above all, represent Portugal in the best way possible.

Alexandre Couto, Aerospace Engineering student

Alexandre began swimming as a child, upon medical advice, after being diagnosed with Morquio Syndrome type B, a rare degenerative disease that primarily affects the bone structure. "The water allowed me to practice sports safely and has always given me a sense of freedom," he explains. Although he began practicing sports at the age of 4, his interest in competition grew only in 2019 when he joined Sporting. He currently competes in the S8 class and in breaststroke events in the SB7 class – which includes swimmers "with an amputated arm or with significant restrictions in the hip, knee, and ankle joints" (Portuguese Federation of Sport for Disabled People).

Alongside swimming, he also shares a passion for Aerospace Engineering.

In engineering, and especially at Técnico, we have to be very independent and 'get our hands dirty.' The same goes for sports, where I study my own technique, experiment with new approaches, and apply engineering concepts, such as water flow.

Alexandre Couto, Aerospace Engineering student

Throughout his academic journey, Alexandre also highlights the support from his professors, stating that "it's not always easy to balance everything, but the professors have been understanding and try to support in the best way possible." He also emphasizes the support of his friends: "On more difficult days, whether due to training or bone pain, there are colleagues who carry my backpack and walk beside me without hesitation. It is these gestures that define true friends and those we carry with us for life."

His experience in adaptive swimming has allowed him to learn from other athletes facing various challenges. "By sharing the pool with people who are deaf, for example, I learned about Portuguese Sign Language. With friends who have Down syndrome, I understood even more that the limit is something we impose on ourselves. In 'normal' sports, heroes are born, but in adaptive sports, heroes emerge. If I can do it with so many adversities, what is stopping anyone else from at least trying?" he shares.

My message is simple: take risks, despite the fear, adversities, and circumstances. If you think it does you good, then move forward without fear.

Alexandre Couto, Aerospace Engineering student

Full article: Técnico

Photo: Bazar desportivo