Brazilian snowboarder from Santa Barbara to compete in 2022 Paralympics

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. -- Santa Barbara resident Andre Barbieri will have his final fitting appointment for his new prosthetic snowboarding leg before he heads to the 2022 Paralympics, according to Hanger Clinic.

Out of six Brazilian athletes participating in total, Barbieri is the only Brazilian snowboarder competing in the Paralympics this year in Beijing.

Hanger Clinic said that Barbieri's fitting on Tuesday, Feb. 1, will be the final time before leaving the country to ensure his prosthetic leg is as well-fitted as possible for his competition.

Barbieri's clinician, Alexis Peterson, will assist with this fitting from 1p.m. - 3p.m. at Hanger Clinic in San Luis Obispo.

From Hanger Clinic:

Originally from Brazil, Andre is a 40-year-old father of two daughters. Following a near-fatal snowboarding accident on Mammoth Mountain in 2011, Andre had his left leg amputated above the knee. Following years of getting back into other sports, including swimming and competing in triathlons—and almost going to the 2016 Summer Paralympics in his home country before missing out by one spot—Barbieri returned to snowboarding. This will be his first Paralympics and the culmination of a ten-year dream.

Andre, who now provides support and knowledge to other people with amputations or limb difference in his role as a Community Care Coordinator at Hanger Clinic, will actually be competing at the Games on the 11th “ampuversary” of his amputation following the snowboarding accident. He will be able to speak to the significance of not only making it to the the highest level of competition, but also in the sport that caused him to lose his leg and as the only athlete to represent his country in that sport.

For more information on Hanger Clinic, click here.