The path of Brazil's first women's Olympic champion in gymnastics: the mother raised 7 children alone

According to the South American Overseas Chinese News Network, Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade won a gold medal and silver medal in the gymnastics women's vault event and individual all-around event at the Tokyo Olympic Games, becoming the first women's gymnastics Olympic champion in Brazilian history. Rebecca's mother gave a media interview after the game to review the Olympic champion's path of growth.

Rebecca is reportedly from the city of Guarulhos in the Grande São Paulo region and began training at the city's three-dimensional gym at the age of 4. Her mother, Rosa Santos, is a domestic helper who raises seven children alone.

Rosa, who has supported her daughter's talents since she was a child, said in an interview: "A lot of people criticized me at the time because she (Rebecca) was only nine years old and living outside and devoting herself to training. ”

"They said 'you're crazy, just let your daughter go'. But I have enough wisdom and an open mind to let her pursue her dreams. I let her 'fly' behind a target. I also made it clear that if she didn't succeed, the door to the home would always be open for her. She went on to tell.

In addition to her mother, Rebecca's brother also helped a lot. When Rosa couldn't afford to drive Rebecca to training, Rebecca's brother would walk or bike her sister to train. It takes two hours to walk to the training ground.

Rebecca stood out at an early age and saw former Brazilian gymnast Daiane dos Santos as her idol.

Diane, the first athlete to win a medal at the Gymnastics World Championships in Brazil, said tearfully when she saw Rebecca win the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics: "For a long time, people said that black people can't play some sports. And what we see today is that the first medal [of Brazilian women's Olympic gymnastics] was won by a black girl. ”

Rebecca underwent three surgeries on her knee between 2015 and 2019 due to injuries caused by intense training. After one of the surgeries, she thought of giving up. At this point Rosa said to her daughter, "You can't give up without trying." You can only choose to give up after you recover and train. You will reacquaint yourself with your body. Rosa played the role of a "psychiatrist" as Rebecca went through difficulties, always encouraging her children to speak up and express their feelings.

At the women's free gymnastics final on August 2, Rebecca finished 5th, ending her journey at the Olympics. Rosa said: "I'm thrilled to finish 5th. For me, her not being on the podium today hasn't changed anything, and even though she didn't win any medals at the Olympics, I'm very proud to be Rebecca Andrade's mother. I know how hard she tried to get into the Tokyo Olympics. ”

Source: China News Network