Paralympian Vanderson Chaves

Paralympian keeps Paris 2024 dreams alive after Brazil floods

A month before fencer Vanderson Chaves hoped to qualify for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, massive floods devastated his home in Rio do Sul, Brazil. He was one of 600,000 people displaced by the disaster.Water levels eventually reached the ceiling of his apartment and washed away his fencing equipment, medals, and passport. Vanderson, who competed in the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and in Tokyo in 2021, feared the floods might ruin his chances of going to Paris.
A man wades through flooded neighborhood streets guiding a rowboat with three people on board.
A member of the Brazilian wheelchair fencing team since 2013, Vanderson is one of the top ranking foil and sabre competitors in the Americas. Fencing came into his life during a difficult time. “It wasn’t a love of sport at first sight,” he says.Vanderson dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player. When he was 12, a stray bullet hit him in the neck, paralyzing him from the waist down. “My first thought was, how am I going to play soccer?” he says.
Two wheelchair fencers spar and one touches the other on the chest with their foil.
He worked at City Hall with a wheelchair fencer who encouraged him to try the sport. Vanderson, who had never heard of fencing before, said he wasn’t interested. Curiosity got the best of him, and eventually he went to watch the colleague’s team train. The experience made an impression. “Everything I thought I couldn’t do anymore, the guys did.”Vanderson decided to give fencing a try and was immediately hooked. Since then he’s traveled the world competing at the highest levels of his sport. 
On May 4, 2024 floodwaters inundated Vanderson’s home. He had two key competitions remaining to qualify for Paris. In addition to overcoming the mental stress from the disaster, he also needed equipment and somewhere to stay so he could continue to train.Fencers from Brazil and the US donated clothing and athletic gear, and Vanderson found a free, accessible place to stay in Porto Alegre through Airbnb.org. With housing covered, he managed to keep training.
Vanderson Chaves wears glasses and smiles sitting in his wheelchair with his arm resting on a counter in an apartment.

“Having the house through Airbnb.org has been essential for me, because I have the peace of mind and security of knowing that I'll finish my training. I'll be able to go home and rest.”

Vanderson Chaves sits in a barber’s chair and laughs with the barber while they look toward the mirror.
Despite many setbacks, Vanderson made the journey to the qualifier and scored the points he needed to compete in the Paralympic Games. He doesn’t know if or when he’ll be able to return to his home, but he hopes to bring a new medal back to Brazil.Watch Vanderson compete starting September 3 at 13:00 CET.
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A man carrying a boy emerges from a van while a smiling woman greets them and touches the boy’s arm.

Airbnb.org houses survivors in Brazil

Since the floods, Airbnb.org has provided free places to stay for evacuees in Rio do Sul. In partnership with nonprofit Pertence, we’ve housed families with children who have special needs and disabilities. We’ve also partnered with UNICEF to house first responders supporting disaster relief efforts.

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