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]

Rildene Firmino
Personal information
Born1974
Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
Height1.55 m (5 ft 1 in)
Weight52 kg (115 lb)
Sport
Country Brazil
SportParalympic swimming
DisabilityParaplegia
Disability classS5, SB3, SM4
Medal record
Paralympic swimming
Representing  Brazil
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Mar del Plata 4x50m medley relay 20pts
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Eindhoven 150m individual medley
Parapan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2003 Mar del Plata 50m backstroke S5
Gold medal – first place 2003 Mar del Plata 150m individual medley SM4
Silver medal – second place 2003 Mar del Plata 50m breaststroke SB3
Silver medal – second place 2007 Rio de Janeiro 150m individual medley SM4
Silver medal – second place 2007 Rio de Janeiro 50m breaststroke SB3
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Rio de Janeiro 50m backstroke S5
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Toronto 50m breaststroke SB3
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Toronto 150m individual medley SM4

Disability

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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]

References

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  1. ^ "Rildene Firmino - IPC Athlete Bio". ipc.infostradasports.com. 4 December 2021. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  2. ^ "Silvania Costa breaks world record for long jump at the closing of Caixa Lotteries Circuit (in Portuguese)". Jornal do Brasil. 26 June 2016.
  3. ^ "Shot by her cousin (in Portuguese)". globo.com. 13 September 2016.