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Daniel Dias competes in the men's 100m Breaststroke SB4 final at Beijing 2008. © • Getty Images

Daniel Dias, a 22 year-old from Brazil, is one of today's most consistent and successful Paralympic Swimmers. The four-time Paralympic Champion won seven gold medals at the 2010 IPC Paralympic Swimming World Championships in Eindhoven.

Daniel was born in Campinas, a city north of Sao Paulo, with malformed upper and lower limbs. Unlike other athletes, who discover Paralympic Sport at a very young age, Daniel's first contact with Paralympic Swimming was at the age of 16, seeing Clodoaldo Silva at the ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games. Inspired by the athletes competing in Athens, Daniel started to train for the 2006 IPC Paralympic Swimming World Championships in Durban, where he won three gold medals and two silver medals.

Today, Daniel is a professional Paralympic Athlete, focussing on his sporting career, which he would like to pursue as long as possible. After his active career, he wants to continue working in sport, to promote the Paralympic Movement and encourage more young people with a disability to take up Paralympic Swimming.

Daniel claims that his biggest success was to receive the 2009 Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award.