Tatyana McFadden continued her quest to win a medal in every race she's entered ... and there's seven of them. There was plenty to cheer for Great Britain on the water as it totally dominated, and host nation Brazil had no less than four new heroes in the Olympic Stadium. But from a Soviet orphanage, wheelchair athlete Tatyana McFadden has made it to her 12th Paralympic podium, according to a CNN report. [caption id="attachment_84418" align="alignright" width="300"] Gold medalist Rachel Morris of Britain poses with her women's single scull ASW1X medal. — Reuters[/caption]Born with paralyzing congenital disorder Spina bifida, McFadden spent the first six years of her life in Russia walking on her hands. Left in an orphanage by her mother, her health deteriorated and doctors feared she wouldn't live long. That was until she met Deborah, the American visitor who would go on to adopt her. Sport was Tatyana's salvation. Two decades on, having been brought up to believe she can overcome any obstacle, the 27-year-old is competing in every Rio 2016 wheelchair event from the 100 meters to the marathon. Such is her talent and determination, she could leave Rio with seven medals. Already with silver to her name from the T54 100m — supposedly her worst event — McFadden added 400m gold Sunday, finishing comfortably ahead of compatriot Cheri Madsen and China's Lihong Zou. Hannah McFadden, adopted from Albania, was born without a femur in her left leg. Competing side by side in three events, the McFaddens could become the first sisters to finish side-by-side on the podium in Paralympic history. McFadden also has two consecutive marathon "grand slams" to her name, winning in Boston, London, Chicago and New York — setting a number of new course records in the process. She claimed gold in every event from 100m sprint to 5,000m at World Championships in 2013. And two years ago even competed in the winter Paralympics, taking to the Sochi snow in a sit-ski to win a silver medal in the cross-country 1km sprint — a particularly poignant moment, given McFadden was briefly reunited with her biological mother Nina Polevikova. Rachel Morris led GB's rowing success with arms-shoulders single sculls gold. Lauren Rowles and Laurence Whiteley won the trunk-and-arms mixed double sculls and the mixed coxed four added a third gold. GB's Tom Aggar won bronze in the men's arms-shoulders single sculls. It's been an incredible Paralympics so far for the host nation. The locals in Rio had four new heroes to cheer in the Olympic Stadium Sunday. In the athletics morning session, Petrucio Ferreira dos Santos and Yohansson Nascimento — roared on by an electrifying home crowd — won gold and bronze in the men's 47 100m final. Only 19 years of age, dos Santos beat the world record he set in the semifinals, finishing in a time of 10.57s and pipping two-time world champion Michal Derus and 2011 world champion Nascimento to the title. The previous world record had stood for 24 years. Next up was Teresinha de Jesus. The 35-year-old, who had her left arm amputated after falling off a wall at the age of eight, took bronze in the T47 100m, finishing behind Poland's Alicja Fiodorow in second and the USA's Deja Young who took the gold. Last but certainly not least, was Felipe Gomes who won silver in the T11 100m, a category for blind athletes, behind USA's David Brown. For all the concern the Paralympics might not go ahead at all, the host nation are now proving its athletes can mix it with the very best.
