Headercolor: | yellow |
Jerusa Geber dos Santos | |
Fullname: | Jerusa Geber dos Santos |
Birth Date: | 26 April 1982 |
Birth Place: | Rio Branco, Brazil |
Height: | 161cm (63inches) |
Country: | Brazil |
Sport: | Athletics |
Club: | Clube Amigos dos Deficientes |
Disability Class: | T11 |
Coach: | Amaury Verissimo (national) Elizeu de Senna (personal) |
Show-Medals: | no |
Jerusa Geber dos Santos (born 26 April 1982) is a visually impaired Brazilian sprinter.[1] Competing in the T11 classification, Geber has competed at two Summer Paralympic Games, winning two silver and a bronze medal. She is also a multiple World Championships and Parapan American medalist, taking ten medals over five tournaments.[2] She qualified for the 2020 Summer Paralympics, in Women's 100m T11, and Women's 200m T11.[3]
She was born with cataracts in 1982 and after having glaucoma she became totally blind when she was eighteen. When she was nineteen a friend suggested that she should take up athletics and in 2005 she first represented her country. She is supported by her husband, Luiz Henrique da Silva, who has been her guide in some T11 races.[4]
She won a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Paralympics, and two silver medals at the 2012 Summer Paralympics.[5] She won a gold medal in Lima at the 2019 Parapan American Games and in the same year she won another at the World Championships in Dubai.[4]
She was one of the first dozen paralympians cleared to compete at the Tokyo Paralympics postponed to 2021. Other early choices to be included were Thalita Simplício (who also competes in T11), Rayane Soares (T13), Beth Gomes (F52), Claudiney Batista (F56), Cícero Valdiran (F57) and Thiago Paulino.[6]