Borges Carneiro’s victory celebration: In the pool at the La Defense Arena, twin sisters Debora and Beatriz Borges Carneiro enjoyed the rarest of wins: a twin-sister double-podium in Para swimming at Paris 2024.
Both stars were watched closely as they hugged to celebrate after the 26-year-old Brazilians clinched silver and bronze in the women’s 100m breaststroke SB14.
Also, the fact that it was their dad’s birthday made it even more special.
Declara, winner of silver, said, “It’s also a gift for him.”
Beatriz said that the stress of the situation made her feel bad, but she couldn’t hold back her happiness at the chance to celebrate success with her sister.
I thought I might have a heart attack because it made me feel so much.
Sibling rivalry
Looking back at the podium made them happy, but when they were on the starting line, the twins saw each other as competitors; they had to win.
Not only did they share the stage at the Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile, where Beatriz won silver and Debora won gold, but they also did it at the World Championships in Manchester last year. But to do it again on the stage of the Paris Paralympics is extra special. Debora and her sister want to beat each other in the pool.
I need to pay attention to the clock and my sister. It’s a good competition because we push each other. We’re in the pool. This is alright. We all cheer for each other. It was wonderful. I give her strength, and she gives it to me.
Inspired by Dory
The twins know everything about each other because they grew up and worked together every day. They also get ideas from the same sources. There is a Disney movie called “Finding Nemo,” and they really like Dory the fish. She is famous for saying “Just keep swimming.” Beatriz named her dog after the girl from the book.
“We really like Dory because she has an intellectual disability and has recently started to lose her memory, so we got the phrase “keep swimming” tattooed on her.” She said, “We’re just like her.”
Whether Dory or the fact that they both loved racing together pushed them, the twins did something that they will always remember.
