[Video] A football player without foot
Like most boys his age, Gabriel Muniz loves playing football, but unlike his teammates, the 11-year-old from Campos dos Goytacazes in Brazil doesn’t have any feet. Despite being born with a limb deficiency called apodia, which meant his feet didn’t develop, the youngster was determined to walk. Gabriel’s mum Sandra said: ‘He started to walk before he could talk at 10-months.
It was incredible.’ Soon he was kicking a ball around, joining the local football team at school and even winning medals. Most days Gabriel does try and wear prosthetic limbs, but when it comes to an all-important match, the boots are off and he’s a force to be reckoned with. Gabriel not only impresses his family and friends with his ball skills, he’s also caught the eye of the Barcelona football team and was invited to one of their training days to play against abled-bodied footballers. A new TV series follows the story of Gabriel’s perseverance and sees him meeting his footballing hero Lionel Messi. The soccer-mad youngster is now determined to pursue his dream of becoming a professional player. Gabriel added: “The only thing I can’t do is fly.” * Gabriel’s is one of several stories of bravery in Unlock My Skull