Martinho de Araújo, born in 1973 or 1974, is an East Timor

East Timor

The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...

ese weightlifter. He was one of the first sportspeople to represent East Timor

Individual Olympic Athletes at the 2000 Summer Olympics

Four athletes from East Timor competed as Individual Olympic Athletes at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.-Results by event:- Weightlifting:Men-References:...

 at the Olympic Games

Olympic Games

The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

, when he took part

Weightlifting at the 2000 Summer Olympics

The Weightlifting Competition at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia saw the introduction of women's weightlifting.-Men's Competition:-Women's Competition:-Participating nations:...

 in weightlifting events at the 2000 Summer Olympics

2000 Summer Olympics

The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...

 in Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

.

A resident of Dili

Dili

Dili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands....

, he fled his home in 1999 after East Timor's declaration of independence from Indonesia, and the ensuing violence

1999 East Timorese crisis

The 1999 East Timorese crisis began with attacks by anti-independence militants on civilians, and expanded to general violence throughout the country, centred in the capital Dili. The violence erupted after a majority of eligible voters in the population of East Timor chose independence from...

. He subsequently returned to find that his weightlifting training equipment had been stolen or rendered unusable in looting and arson. In order to continue training, de Araújo "improvised with metal rods stuck into paint cans that had been filled with cement."

In Sydney, he lifted 67.5 kg in the snatch and 90 kg in the clean and jerk, finishing last. Newsday

Newsday

Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...

commented: "He wasn't exactly crushed by it. Chances are none of the other competitors had to make their own weights and barbells to train."