It’s no myth that careers in gymnastics begin at a premature age. The big referents of this sport, both artistic and rhythmic versions, begin and consolidate at an early stage of their lives.
In the case of Rebeca Andrade, things follow the same pattern. The big Brazilian artistic gymnastics star reached the sky when she was only 22 years old by winning a gold medal at vault and a silver medal at individual at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, while already being a world-wide known figure following her participation at the previous Olympics.
Now that we are just a few months away from the Pan American Games, the athlete born in Guarulhos, near the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo, talked with the organization of the event and gave her predictions for 2023, a year that welcomed Rebeca as one of the best in the world.
Rebeca visited Chile, invited by Pan American Sports. (Photo: Santiago 2023).
How could you summarize your 2022?
It was very good, full of accomplishments. I think that we accomplished all the objectives we set with my trainer, and I’m proud about it. On the other hand, there’s the academic part, which I’m also proud of, since I started studying Psychology at the University. So, I can safely say my 2022 was great.
What are your predictions for this year?
The most important thing is to be happy, healthy and endure the whole year because we have an important World competition that gives an Olympic quota, so my main goals are to earn that quota and to have the best showings in all of our presentations this year.
This calendar year will also be marked by Santiago 2023. What are your expectations regarding the Pan American Games?
What’s important is to be happy, to finish the competition feeling satisfied with all I did and make my trainer proud. I think that’s what really matters.
How do you see the competition at the Pan American level?
There’s a high level. We compete against the best teams in the Americas. Santiago 2023 will be a big thing because we compete against the United States, who’s the best…How can I explain this? It’s the biggest gymnastics referent we have in this part of the world, so we…I can’t really explain it. It’s a high level because everyone is there to win, so you want to try your best. It’ll be great.
FOLLOWING THE STEPS OF DAIANE DOS SANTOS
The athlete states with precision that her referent along all of her career is her compatriot Daiane Dos Santos, who holds the achievement of being the first Brazilian, Latin American, and Afro-descendant gymnast to win a world gold medal in Floor.
Two decades after her childhood idol was performing at her peak level, Rebeca Andrade is, as described by herself, in a great moment. This is proved by her most recent results.
Rebeca Andrade with her gold medal at Tokyo 2020 (Photo: Brazilian Olympic Committee).
What was the reason behind deciding to become a gymnast?
Daiane dos Santos. She was my biggest inspiration. That’s who I identified myself with, as a person and as an athlete, because of her joy, the explosiveness she always had, and her willingness to be an athlete.
What made you decide on artistic gymnastics?
It was the first sport I ever practiced. Gymnastics came as a surprise to my life and I identified myself with it, despite having practiced other sports. I practiced artistic gymnastics hidden from the gym director. I’d already practiced acrobatic and rhythmic gymnastics as a game, but my focus has always been on the artistic side.
For those who don’t know about this sport, how can we explain the difference between rhythmic and artistic gymnastics to them?
Rhythmic gymnastics has a field like floor, but without any cushion. In this modality, we use equipment like pommel horses, balls, and ribbons, while in artistic gymnastics, we don’t have those. In artistic we have the floor, jumps, balance beams, and uneven bars, aside from others used in male gymnastics. They are quite different from one another, but their similarities have to do with choreography.
What do you remember about your first steps in this sport? When did you know this was what you wanted to do as your career?
I started when I was 4, and then when I became 10 I had to move to a different city. I went from Sao Paulo to Coritiba. That’s where I really saw this was going to be my career and that I had the ability to help myself and my family. During all this time, I realized this was my dream, this was what I wanted, and I was always supported by my family.
Nowadays, at what stage of your career are you in? Do you feel you’re at your peak level?
I can’t put it in steps, but I think I’m pretty good now. I’ve accomplished my biggest objectives and everything I wanted to conquer, I did conquer. So I could go up, but I could also go down. I’m happy where I’m now, and I expect to continue achieving my goals.
Rebeca after the Olympic silver at Tokyo 2020 (Photo: Brazilian Olympic Committee).
HANDLING EARLY FAME
Just like any athlete who wins an Olympic medal, Rebeca turned into a popular figure in her country and the whole world. Along with her youth, this has made her Instagram account reach 2.2 million followers and her Tiktok account 1.8 million followers, who follow her progress and training on a daily basis.
Despite being considered a star at a young age, she states that her focus will always be in sports and the public recognition she receives will be used to teach other people to reach their goals and dreams. Also, she hasn’t forgotten about the importance of the people who are around her every day of her career.
After winning the medals at Tokyo, you obviously became more famous. How did you deal with this at such a young age?
I’m very relaxed. I think I wasn’t preoccupied with what people would expect from me the next time. I think my focus will always be on sports and what I want to do in my presentations, what I want to be, what my mother taught me to be. But I wouldn’t have been able to deal with all that happened if it wasn’t for Danielle (manager), Santos (Daiane), my trainer, my team, and my family. My support network is quite big. In order to have a healthy head, a healthy body, many professionals worked on being able to manage everything that happened after the Olympic Games.
What does it mean to you to be an Olympic medalist? Do you think there’s a responsibility associated with it?
I believe that all my story allows me to show people that they are capable of doing everything they want, that despite all the “no” they get in their lives, if they set their goals and have the correct people working by their sides, they can dream big. This way, they’ll accomplish those dreams.
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