André Almeida is a high‑performance adapted swimming athlete. He has Trisomy 21 and, at just 26 years old, already carries around half a hundred medals on his chest , earned in dozens of national and international competitions. One of the Portuguese swimmers who represents the national adapted swimming team, André has just renewed his partnership with Hospital da Luz , a collaboration that began in 2025 and has helped him stay better prepared for every competition. To get here, André has worked incredibly hard. And what he does in this sport helps him in many aspects of his life: it keeps him active, focused on what he needs to do, motivated to overcome challenges, to push himself further, and prepared to “win even more medals,” as his mother, Ana Almeida—who is always by his side on this sporting and personal journey—says. “Today, as a mother, I know that André can continue to grow and improve with the help of Hospital da Luz. Every week he goes to the Sports Medicine Centre at Hospital da Luz Lisboa and does specialised training with João Faria. With him, André is able to recover and stay in excellent physical condition, fully prepared for all competitions,” she adds. André Almeida began his sporting career in 2016, at the age of 16, and by 2018 he had already earned High‑Performance Athlete status after his first international competition representing the National Team. Now considered one of the best in the world in his category, André is once again aiming to reaffirm last season’s titles and to increase his competitiveness by breaking his own personal records in a constant pursuit of improvement. Hospital da Luz is proud to continue as André’s partner on this journey of success and determination—and to be by his side in every new victory. Go, André! You’re a champion!
