Susana Ribeiro

Susana Schnarndorf Ribeiro is a Brazilian Paralympic swimmer and former triathlete. Born on October 12, 1967, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, she initially built a long career in endurance sports before transitioning to parasports. She eventually represented her country as a member of the national Paralympic swimming team.

Her athletic path began at eleven years old in her hometown, where she trained in swimming under coach Mauri Fonseca. She later established a successful triathlon career, securing five national championship titles in Brazil and competing in numerous races between 1993 and 1997. Her international appearances included competing at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar Del Plata, Argentina. After moving to Rio de Janeiro, she married fellow triathlete Alexandre Ribeiro, entering various international events alongside him. Over her triathlon career, she completed thirteen World Triathlon Corporation Ironman races, winning six of them. The couple had three children named Kaillani, Kaipo, and Maila, prior to their divorce in 2005.

In 2005, at thirty-seven years old, Ribeiro began experiencing initial symptoms of an illness. Her physical condition deteriorated further in 2008 after she lost coordination on the left side of her body. Following several years of medical evaluations, her condition was diagnosed as Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), a progressive neurological disorder that causes permanent nerve damage, muscle rigidity, and organ decline. Due to her increasing disability, her children moved to live with their father.

Following a period of severe depression, Ribeiro returned to competitive athletics by joining the Brazilian Paralympic Swimming team in 2010. Between 2010 and 2012, she became a national record holder and champion across multiple events, including the 50m, 100m, and 400m freestyle, the 100m breaststroke, and the 200m medley. She competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, placing fourth in the 100m breaststroke SB7 and fifth in the 200m medley SM7.

At the 2013 IPC Paralympic World Swimming Championships in Montreal, Canada, Ribeiro won a world title in the 100m freestyle SB6 category. That same year, she received the award for best female athlete at the Paralympic Prize in Rio de Janeiro. On September 9, 2016, she earned a silver medal at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in the mixed 4x50m freestyle relay, competing alongside teammates Daniel Dias, Joana Silva, and Clodoaldo Silva.

Ribeiro's life and career have been featured in media projects. In 2016, she appeared in the documentary 4All alongside other prominent Brazilian Paralympic athletes. Later, the 2018 documentary A Day for Susana, directed by Giovanna Giovanini and Rodrigo Boecker, captured her personal life and athletic preparation between 2014 and 2016. The film premiered at the 42nd São Paulo International Film Festival and was showcased at festivals in Havana, Atlanta, Gdansk, and Austria, where it received an honorable jury mention.

In September 2017, the US-based non-governmental organization Defeat MSA established the Susana Schnarndorf MSA Legacy Fund. The initiative raises money to support medical education, scientific research, and patient care for individuals affected by the condition, particularly within South America.