Fifteen-year-old Isadora Trevisani de Oliveira has her sights set on the 2032 Paralympics in Brisbane, Australia. For now, that dream begins on the court of a local gym in Curitiba, Brazil, far from the Paralympic stadium in Brisbane.
Isadora competes in para-badminton, a fast-paced and physically demanding sport, playing in the SL3 category and continuing to add technique and strategy to her game. This Latter-day Saint teenager in the Boa Vista Ward of the Boa Vista Brazil Stake also relies on his faith to improve.
The SL3 category of para-badminton is aimed at athletes with moderate to severe impairments in one or both lower extremities. These obstacles affect on-court mobility and stability.
diagnosis
“The first diagnosis we received was right after her birth,” said her mother, Andrea Trevisani de Oliveira.
Shortly after Isadora was born, she stopped breathing for a while. As a result, she spent the first week of her life in intensive care so doctors could investigate the cause of her respiratory arrest. Isadora had no clinical complications that week, but doctors requested multiple detailed tests just to be sure.
Tests revealed extensive brain damage, and Isadora’s parents worried whether she would ever be able to walk again. Doctors diagnosed Isadora with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.
Hemiplegic cerebral palsy is a disease that causes significant movement disorders. Stiffness, weakness, and coordination problems in the arms and legs are common symptoms.
“It was predicted that she would probably never be able to walk, talk or lead a normal life, but after a lot of fasting and prayer, a miracle happened,” said Andrea Trevisani de Oliveira.
Isadora started physical therapy at two months old to improve her limb mobility. Through therapy and the faith and fasting of her family and friends, Isadora is considered a “miracle of fasting” by her family.
“In our family, we often say she is a fasting miracle,” said Andrea Trevisani de Oliveira. “For us, this explains why, despite such extensive brain damage, she now only has mobility issues in her left leg, and has defied her medical prognosis to forge a trajectory of overcoming adversity that has led her to high-performance sport.”
foundation of faith
Isadora integrates the fundamental beliefs she developed early in life into her current games and events. She relies primarily on strength and calmness in any match or competition.
“I always pray before the championship. It makes me a lot stronger and helps me face any difficulties,” Isadora said.
Isadora first discovered the sport after taking an athletic aptitude test to determine her strength in racket sports.
“I started attending training sessions with my brother and fell in love with the sport,” she said. “At first, I had a little bit of trouble executing the techniques because this is a very technical sport and a completely new sport for me.”
Through faith and hard work, Isadora was able to achieve goals and achievements that she never imagined. Isadora is a two-time winner of the SL3 category at the Brazilian National Schools Paralympic Games and ranks second in the national rankings for the SL3 category.
“Diagnosis is not fate”
“It’s a great miracle for us to see (Isadora) grow, develop and compete,” said Andrea Trevisani de Oliveira. “We love the saying, ‘Diagnosis is not destiny.'”
Isadora’s goal is firmly set in her destiny to finish first in her category, be selected for the South American Championships in São Paulo, and eventually compete in the Paralympics.
Isadora cherishes the words of the late President Russell M. Nelson: “The Lord loves hard work, because hard work brings rewards that you would not otherwise have.”
Her family says those words motivate Isadora to continue to reap the rewards of her efforts. She wants others to know they can do the same.
“With faith, persistence, discipline and hard work, we can achieve all our dreams,” Isadora said.
