Favela Athletes

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:00:12. > :00:24.Rio de Janeiro. Here, sport is more than just a pastime. It is a

:00:25. > :00:27.religion. 2016, the eyes of the world will be on Brio for the

:00:28. > :00:36.greatest sporting spectacle of all, the Olympics. High above the city,

:00:37. > :00:42.there are some 600 favelas, shanty towns that are home to roughly a

:00:43. > :00:46.quarter of Rio's population. Few in the favelas can afford tickets to

:00:47. > :00:49.the games, but a handful are hoping to compete. We follow three

:00:50. > :01:26.athletes. Three favela athletes living out

:01:27. > :01:30.their dreams of Olympic glory. 11-year-old Anneka has been a

:01:31. > :01:51.gymnast was six years and trains every day.

:01:52. > :04:50.She lives at the top of the favela with her family.

:04:51. > :04:56.Anna Karen Lina, now 13 years old, is still damp is dedicated to

:04:57. > :05:27.winning a place on the gymnastics team. But the hardships of favela

:05:28. > :05:44.life have taken their toll on the family. One evening, things became

:05:45. > :06:10.too much for Ana Carolina's mother. The family's difficulties and the

:06:11. > :07:49.rigours of sporting life started to affect her training.

:07:50. > :07:55.This 16-year-old girl's daily regime means she has to head out before

:07:56. > :08:04.dawn. Her mother is up as well, taking

:08:05. > :09:08.N'Jie Ivana to her training session. The daily gym sessions last several

:09:09. > :09:34.hours, but this isn't the main part of her training.

:09:35. > :09:40.Giovana started diving aged ten, but even now the ten metre platform

:09:41. > :10:07.isn't easy. Due to the dedication that training

:10:08. > :10:49.demands, her social life is limited. Physical demands have taken their

:10:50. > :11:30.toll on her body, and could affect her chance of selection.

:11:31. > :11:35.It is not just physical. The psychological aspects are also

:11:36. > :12:25.weighing him down. Despite her injuries, Giovana is

:12:26. > :12:32.back at the gym, pursuing her dreams, and her diving has taken a

:12:33. > :12:34.change of direction. She has teamed up with another diver for the ten

:12:35. > :14:29.metres synchronised diving category. And results speak for themselves.

:14:30. > :14:40.They have had one success after another. Giovanna and Ingrid one

:14:41. > :14:46.Brazil's first ever gold medal at the games in Toronto. Giovanna's

:14:47. > :15:49.mother cannot afford to travel abroad to see her daughter compete.

:15:50. > :15:56.Every day is an early start and a two-hour journey for this

:15:57. > :17:03.28-year-old athlete. The journey is long, but for Jorge,

:17:04. > :17:08.it is worth it. In 2010, Jorge came to Rio's main Paralympic training

:17:09. > :17:17.ground in search of work and was given a job. But only months later,

:17:18. > :18:25.a coach spotted him and offered Jorge a chance to train.

:18:26. > :18:42.From a Flavela background with not many prospects, Jorge is now one of

:18:43. > :20:00.Brazil's top athlete. But training doesn't come without its

:20:01. > :20:21.difficulties. -- Favela. Jorge works in a call centre.

:20:22. > :20:31.Jorge lives with his wife, Maria. Paralympic sport has given Jorge a

:20:32. > :21:15.chance to step far beyond the expectations of most Favela

:21:16. > :21:20.families. Jorge is now competing with his own records, but if he gets

:21:21. > :21:25.to represent Brazil, he will be up against other high ranking athletes

:21:26. > :21:55.from all over the world. A metal is never a certainty. -- medal.

:21:56. > :22:53.Time will tell if the Favela athletes can realise their dreams.