Alexandre Couto, an Aerospace Engineering student at Instituto Superior Técnico and adapted swimming athlete at Sporting Clube de Portugal, is preparing to represent Portugal for the first time in international competitions. The young swimmer will participate in the World Para Swimming Series, in Japan, from 10 to 12 April 2025.

At 23, Alexandre Couto is already a four-time national champion in the S9 class, having won the 400m, 100m and 50m freestyle, as well as the 100m backstroke. He also holds the national record in the 400m freestyle, which he describes as ‘technically demanding’.

His participation in the World Para Swimming Series represents a significant milestone in his sports career. ‘This initial step toward internationalisation is significant for me. I want to learn, evolve and, above all, represent Portugal in the best possible way,’ he says. Before the competition, the student will also undergo an international sports classification, a requirement of the International Paralympic Committee to define his competitive class at world level.

Alexandre Couto’s swimming career began on medical advice when he was still a child, as a way of improving his physical condition due to Morquio B disease, a rare degenerative disease that mainly affects the bone structure. ‘Water has always provided me the freedom to practice sports safely’, he explains. His interest in competition came later, leading him to initially take part in conventional swimming before moving on to adapted swimming, a sport where he has gained a notable reputation at the national level. He currently competes in the S8 class as well as in breaststroke SB7, which are categories for athletes with moderate physical disabilities.

Despite the demands of training, he successfully balances his academic life with high-performance sports by applying strategies he believes are common to both areas.  ‘In engineering, and especially at Técnico, students must be very autonomous and ‘get their hands dirty’. The same is true in sports, where I study my own technique, experiment with new approaches and apply engineering concepts such as water flow. My determination to never give up and my desire to continuously learn and improve summarise what I gain from my studies and apply in sports,” he explains.

His journey has been closely monitored by his classmates and professors at Técnico: ‘It’s not always easy juggling sports and study. But the professors have been understanding and try to support me in the best way.’ He also highlights the solidarity of his friends: ‘On more difficult days, whether due to training or bone pain, there are colleagues who, some of my colleagues carry my rucksack and walk beside me without hesitate. This is true friendship”.

The experience of adapted swimming has allowed him to grow as an athlete and as a person, leading him to learn from other sportspeople who face different challenges. ‘Sharing the pool with people with deafness, for example, made me learn about Portuguese Sign Language. Through my experiences with friends who have Down’s syndrome, I realised that we often set our limitations. In ‘normal’ sports, heroes are born; in adapted sports, heroes emerge. “If I can achieve this despite facing so many challenges, what’s stopping anyone else from at least giving it a try?”, he shares.

Alexandre Couto leaves an encouraging message for students who might be uncertain about balancing sports and academics: “It’s important to have something outside of our studies that fulfills us. For me, sports began as a form of rehabilitation but evolved into something much greater. My message is simple: take risks despite fear, challenges, and circumstances. If you believe it’s good for you, go for it without hesitation.”

Alexandre Couto is embarking on a new challenge in Japan, fueled by determination and resilience. He carries with him not only the ambition to improve his times and records, but also the inspiration of someone who shows, both in and out of the pool, that limits are meant to be surpassed.