“I want to represent my country in the best possible way,” said Cecilia Araujo, who was born with cerebral palsy.<br /><br />The 17-year-old started swimming when she was three on medical advice. She has not stopped since then and has never seen her impairment as a barrier for personal growth.<br /><br />“I learned to accept my impairment thanks to my mom Cledna Jeronimo. I really admire her. She taught me that the one who had to accept me was no other but myself,” she said.<br /><br />Araujo’s hard work and self-belief paid off and, in 2013, she burst onto the international scene by winning several medals at the Buenos Aires Youth Parapan American Games.<br />“I remember it very well as an incredible experience since it was my first competition abroad,” she said.<br /><br />Two years after claiming her first official titles as a swimmer, Araujo was invited to Sao Paulo, Brazil, by the Agitos Foundation, the development arm of the International Paralympic Committee, to take part in a training camp.<br /><br />We feature athletes on their road to Rio at www.agitosfoundation.org, on Twitter.com/Agitos and on Facebook.com/AgitosFoundation.<br /><br />Anyone can use #TeamAgitos on social media to show they are part of the team, whether they are athletes, coaches, part of the Paralympic Movement or a partner organisation.<br /><br />#TeamAgitos will carry on the momentum during Rio 2016 and beyond.
