João Correia

Biography

Data

João Paulo Martins Correia

July 20, 1983

Santo Tirso - Portugal

1.60 Height

52kg

My story

I was born on 20 July 1983. Two years later, a road accident introduced me to a wheelchair. We've been together ever since. I passed hours, which turned into years, in rehabilitation to accept that the only ways was look ahead. When I was 8 years old I attended a half-marathon race with athletes in wheelchairs. In the end, I spoke to some of them and, fascinated by the stories, I started to practice sports in the Portuguese Disabled Association. As I have strength, I will continue to show that I unknown the limit word. Thank you to those who have believed in me.

My career

I started practicing athletics almost by accident. I took a chair that an athlete no longer used and experienced. I did not want to stop. At 16 years old I performed my first wheelchair competition. I was half a second away of the 2001 European Championship in Switzerland. The following year, I met a person who completely changed my sports career. I owe him everything that I am as an athlete. That year, I made the qualification time for the European Championship 2003 where I won my first medal. In 2005, reached the second medal, this time at the European Athletics Championship in Finland (Espoo, Helsinki). All hours of dedication and training paid off. But my story does not end here.

Image Gallery

My journey in pictures

Galeria — Before the accident

João Correia

News

João Correia's followers already fill two stadiums

After his last race reached 180 thousand fans

December 26, 2019

João Correia, the first Portuguese athlete to win an international medal for wheelchair athletics, has just reached 180,000 fans on his Facebook page, becoming the second Paralympic athlete with the most followers in that social network worldwide. “I thank everyone who follows my Facebook page and leaves so nice messages there. This support and all the affection I receive in many different ways, are my most valuable medals! Luckily I get messages and have followers from around the world who remember me in good and bad times”says João Correia.

João Correia ambassador for foundraising race

Wings for Life World Run Portugal

February 10, 2016

João Correia, national track and field reference in a wheelchair, is an ambassador for Wings for Life World Run Portugal, a solidarity race to be held on May 8 at Porto in order to alert and raise funds for the cure of spinal injury cord injury. "I'm a man of causes and this relates to me particularly. It is impossible to remain indifferent when they see images of a running race with thousands of participants in 33 countries, united in support of a cure that could help one day, millions of people who are in the same physical condition than mine! This race makes me believe more and more in my life motto: Never give up "says João Correia.

João Correia joins Guess What

Athlete has a PR agency supporting him

August 20, 2014

The Guess What PR agency partnered with the Paralympic athlete João Correia for the sports season 2014/2015. The agency is responsible for dissemination of initiatives involving the athletic runner-up in 2003 and 2005 during the new season. "The support from Guess What to João Correia comes as part of our social responsibility policy" explained Jorge Azevedo, Managing Partner of Guess What, stressing that "the message never give up deserves to be widely communicated."