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PARALYMPIC GAMES — Back in July we featured a video of Paralympian David Brown, who is blind, competing with his sighted guide, Jerome Avery. Tethered at the wrists by a thin rope, these athletes move in sync and have accomplished incredible things. Their unique bond is truly inspiring.
But Paralympian Keula Nidreia Pereira Semedo and her running partner, Manuel Antonio Vaz da Veiga, have totally raised the bar. Pereira Semedo is also visually impaired, so she relies on Vaz da Veiga to guide her in races. But he is much more than just a race-day helper. In her Paralympic profile, she refers to Vaz da Veiga as her "influence."
After completing the women's 200-meter qualifying heat recently, Vaz da Veiga had a bit of a surprise for Pereira Semedo.
Keula Nidreia Pereira Semedo from Cape Verde got a surprise marriage proposal from guide after her Tokyo Paralympics 2020 Women's 200m T11 Heat 4 event.#YouDeserveIt#Paralympicspic.twitter.com/ZR6Lq7EwOb
— SABC Sport (@SPORTATSABC) September 2, 2021
Pereira Semedo had actually finished fourth in the race, so she wasn't able to move on to the semifinals. But that didn't seem to matter as her partner got down on one knee and placed a ring on her finger.
The hug they share at the end of the video says it all.
"Manuel Antonio Vaz da Veiga, guide to Keula Nidreia Pereira Semedo, popped the question after the women's T11 200m heats," proclaimed the Paralympic Games' Twitter account. "May the two of them run together for life!"