Valdirene de Paula Ferreira, the mother of former Olympian Daniel Nascimento, is seeking public assistance in locating her son, who disappeared from their home on June 19. Nascimento, a decorated Brazilian long-distance runner, was last seen leaving the family residence in Paraguacu Paulista, Sao Paulo, around 7 p.m. with a black backpack.
Nascimento's family formally reported his disappearance to authorities on Monday, the day before his 28th birthday. Ferreira expressed her deep concern, stating that her son had been under her care since he received a five-year ban from competition in May 2025 for doping violations. He had tested positive for three steroids one month prior to the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, which forced him to withdraw from both those Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
"I would go to work and he would come with me. He was always a good boy," Ferreira said in an Instagram video, according to The Sun. "Sometimes I used to take him out for a run. He would do some training sessions in secret in the middle of the sugarcane fields. I think he really missed the routine of being an athlete."
Ferreira, who shared her phone number on social media, appealed for any information that could help locate her son. She described him as having psychological issues and noted that his siblings are also extremely worried. "A thousand things go through your mind as a mother. I think I’ve lost about 10 kilos," she stated. "We just want him to show up."
Nascimento is recognized as South America's fastest marathoner. His peak performance came in 2022 when he finished third in the Seoul Marathon with a time of 2:04:51. He also placed eighth at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, that same year. In the New York Marathon, he led for over 20 miles before collapsing from exhaustion due to the warm weather conditions. Nascimento competed in the marathon at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, which were held in 2021.