Daniel Dias on the transformational power of the Paralympic Movement: "The Paralympic Games transform lives"
As Daniel Dias carried the flag at the Closing Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, it was the end of a chapter in more than one way. The Para swimmer was saying goodbye to his career’s fourth Paralympic Games, but also his competitive sports career.
With 27 Paralympic medals to his name, including 14 gold, Dias retired as the most decorated male Para swimmer of all time and Brazil's most decorated Paralympian. Medals, however, provide only a glimpse at his much more multi-faceted journey in sport.
Beyond the podiums, victory ceremonies and autograph sessions, Dias was witness to a more subtle change that the Paralympics have prompted within himself and the societies of the different Games hosts where he has competed.
Now about to see the Games from a new perspective for the first time in two decades, Dias is excited for what the Paris 2024 chapter holds for the Paralympic Movement.
“Having a Paralympic Games in Paris is an incredible moment. We have had London, Rio, Tokyo and now we have Paris, which can have a huge impact on society and the whole of France," Dias told Olympics.com. "We see growing numbers of people who want to follow the Paralympics, watch the Paralympics and cheer for the Paralympic athletes. I think that is the biggest impact that can be had.”
Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020: From rookie athlete to inspiration
It was an emotional moment for Dias when he touched the wall in his last race at Tokyo 2020. The Brazilian Para swimming star finished just off the podium in the men’s 50m freestyle S5, a race in which he won gold at Rio 2016 and London 2012, and took silver at Beijing 2008.
Missing the Paralympic podium in his signature race for the first time was not what made Dias so emotional, however. Rather, it was the feeling that with those short 50m he bid farewell to the Paralympic pool for good.
After touching the wall, he took the time to wave at his team in the stands and take in a mental snapshot of his last Paralympic moment as a competitor.
“A Paralympics, it’s an incredible moment for an athlete. It evokes great emotions," Dias said. "The Paralympic Games transform lives. And in Brazil, I became an inspiration to many through the Paralympic Games so today I really see the impact that the Paralympic Games have on the world."
Dias had picked up three bronze medals in earlier races at Tokyo 2020 to make it “one medal for each of my children” – sons Asaph and Daniel and daughter Hadassa.
While he wrapped up his career as an athlete at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, Dias promised to stay involved in sports and keep giving back. And he has done just that, mentoring young athletes and working on grassroots projects through the Laureus World Sports Academy. A record three-time winner of the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award, Dias became an Academy Member in 2021.
Becoming a mentor was a full-circle moment for the 36-year-old Dias who was inspired to start swimming at 16 after watching fellow Brazilian Para swimmer Clodoaldo Silva compete at Athens 2004, where he won six gold medals. Dias is now that inspiration for the athletes who came after him, including former teammate Wendell Belarmino.
Years before Belarmino won gold in the men’s 50m freestyle S11 at Tokyo 2020, Dias presented him with the medal he won at his first competition as a schoolboy.
“I really believe in the tool (of grassroots sport)," Dias said. "When I started reading about sports, it transformed my life and I believe that this can also be a tool for inclusion, where people can feel included, including people with disabilities."
Daniel Dias: Transformation through the Paralympics
Dias' evolving role in the sports community – from a young athlete looking up to swimming heroes to becoming one of those heroes – has not been the only change he underwent since embarking on his Paralympics journey.
The Para swimmer also noticed a great transformation within himself and how he approached his disability.
“I was able to understand the impact it had on me, to truly understand that it is not a disability that defines me, but rather what is inside each of us," said Dias, who was born with malformed upper and lower limbs. "The Paralympics had a huge impact on me, where I was able to see many athletes with disabilities, with smiles on their faces and giving their best for their country."
Dias also noticed the change in the perceptions of disabilities within the societies of the Paralympic Games hosts he got to know along the way. Rio 2016, where the enthusiastic home crowds spurred him to a nine-medal haul, were particularly memorable proof of that change.
“I believe that when you have a Paralympics, it makes people, society as a whole, think about people with disabilities and look at them in a different way," Dias said. "We still live in a world where there are prejudices, but when you have a Paralympics at home, it at least awakens society to look at people with disabilities and try to treat them like any other person."
The ultimate goal, Dias said, is to erase the boundary between Para and able-bodied sports to the point where Olympians and Paralympians are seen in a similar way.
"We are athletes, period. We have always wanted to show the performance of the athletes, how well they can perform, and we show this through our achievements, the medals," Dias said. "That is the point of the Paralympics, to show that we are athletes, period. And that is what we want to convey."
Paris 2024: The next chapter in the Paralympic Movement
Dias is expecting this change in perceptions to manifest itself in the French capital as well. Paris 2024 will mark the first time that France is hosting a Summer Paralympic Games. Moreover, it will be the first summer edition with spectators in the stands since Rio 2026.
“The significance of this, of people watching and getting to know the sports, says a lot about the lack of visibility," Dias said. "People don’t know about it. They haven’t had the opportunity to watch and follow it. And when you have a Paralympics like the one in Rio, at home, people watched, followed the action, cheered, rooted for all the athletes and that is how you can get to know Paralympic sport. And when you get to know it, you start cheering, feeling the emotion and following it."
Dias will be one of those enthusiastic followers when the Paralympics open on 28 August. Free from the competition schedule for the first time, he already has many plans for the 11-days of action in Paris. Watching blind football, where Brazil are undefeated since the inaugural Paralympic tournament, is especially high up on his wish list.
The 14-time Paralympic champion also has some words of advice for the Paralympians who will be on the field of play at Paris 2024.
“For the athletes who believe in their dream of a medal, it will not define who we are, but it is what we seek," Dias said. "So, have fun in the process. Enjoy the process, training day by day to achieve that medal. Do it daily, with a smile on your face. Dedicate yourself and be determined and you will achieve it."