He completed the world’s toughest triathlon with his brother, who suffers from cerebral palsy

It is said that there are no impossible things in life, and obstacles and challenges are there to overcome them. When our life seems hopeless, this is not what comes to mind, although we can come across many stories that support all of this. For example, the story of the pair of brothers who went through the hardships of the Ironman triathlon together to talk openly about cerebral palsy, inspire others and show the world that sport is for everyone.

The Iron Brothers came about by accident

Miguel and Pedro Ferreira Pinto are American brothers who have been competing in long-distance triathlons together for years.

37-year-old Miguel initially worked as a lawyer and was an amateur athlete, while his brother, who is two years younger, suffers from cerebral palsy. Despite his illness, Pedro always watched the various competitions with great enthusiasm, and the world of sports had a special attraction for him. Miguel used to attend crossfit training as an amateur, which his brother always watched with great enthusiasm. Over the years, they presented themselves to the world as triathletes, but according to them, this was purely due to a coincidence.

Miguel was injured during a crossfit workout, which is why the doctors recommended that he avoid training with heavier weights. For this reason, he used triathlon training to improve his condition, but at that time he had no serious plans for the sport.

The video featured a pair of North American brothers, one of whom, like Pedro, suffered from cerebral palsy, but nevertheless qualified for one of the toughest triathlon competitions, the Ironman World Championship.

Pedro looked at me with a look that was very characteristic of him and seemed to say: “I also want to” – Miguel told Publico, then continued: “I told him he was crazy, because I couldn’t even do half a triathlon, let alone an Ironman.”

In the beginning, they didn’t even have a bicycle

Based on what Miguel said, he was initially very scared of how the race would go for him, so he started completing these distances solo so that later Pedro could keep up with him. At first, they competed in smaller events, but at that time they didn’t even have a bicycle, so they only competed in running and swimming competitions. Appropriate equipment became essential for racing, the price of which was almost sky high. The bicycle cost approximately 5,000 euros, i.e. nearly 2 million forints, the racing chair cost 470,000 forints, and the swimsuits and other accessories cost 788,000 forints. With the support of major brands, the brother and sister set up a team that helped them to get closer to their dream day by day.

They soon realized that it was about much more than just racing

– said Miguel a few years ago, and he was right.

According to Miguel, they spent about 15-20 hours a week on training, of course depending on the different stages of the season. These were training sessions of a much higher intensity and duration than what was done before. The closer they got to the race, the more stressed they were, but that didn’t matter. According to Miguel, every minute was worth it, as they were able to bring the strong family bond into the sport, which gave it all meaning.

“For me it’s a sport that I play every day, but for Pedro it’s much more than that. It gave us an opportunity to talk about cerebral palsy and put a forgotten topic back on the agenda.”

Miguel and Pedro saw in racing an opportunity that could even grow into a national movement. They wanted to draw attention to the conditions of people suffering from cerebral palsy, and they wanted to support the Lisbon Cerebral Palsy Association.

Fortunately, the movement is only growing every year, and many people have already joined the initiative.

“We have become much better people since my brother is present in our lives. If it didn’t exist, we wouldn’t know what it’s like to love someone completely selflessly.”

Their goal is to prove that everyone has the right to play sports, even if it comes with many obstacles and difficulties. “They deserve and should have sports as part of their lives” – said Miguel during a previous interview. He also emphasized that in many cases the sports community or event organizers often reject those who are confined to a wheelchair.

The first big competition

A few years after the decision – that is, in 2021 – they saw that it was time to start the long-distance Ironman competition, which was organized in Coimbra.

“After 16 hours and 27 minutes, we became the first European pair to complete the race” Miguel recalls. The competitor also said that, of course, the competition is far from easy, but Pedro will do his best to push his brother through the deadlocks. According to her, that’s when Pedro starts talking about memories that distract her.

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They last competed in Ironman in Brazil and Hamburg, and their enthusiasm remains unbroken.

All for a greater cause

The two brothers also started a podcast to help families with similar illnesses. The brother and sister remain determined to involve more and more people confined to wheelchairs in the world of sports. In addition to fundraising, they created an initiative in collaboration with other platforms, where they also take people with cerebral palsy to a shorter 10-kilometer race.