Struggling in Darkness, Rebeca Andrade Makes Heart

In a moment forever etched into the Olympic annals, Rebeca Andrade stood at the top of the podium with gymnasts GOAT Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles, bowing down to her. Having overcome three ACL tears in four years, the first South American woman to make it to the all-around podium in Tokyo knew she had…

In a moment forever etched into the Olympic annals, Rebeca Andrade stood at the top of the podium with gymnasts GOAT Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles, bowing down to her. Having overcome three ACL tears in four years, the first South American woman to make it to the all-around podium in Tokyo knew she had her full circle moment.

With two silver (all-around and vault), one bronze (team event), and one gold medal (floor), Rebeca took her Olympic medal tally to six, making her the most successful Brazilian at the Olympics. But seeing as it didn’t come easy for the gymnast, at this point, a lot would be going through the athlete’s mind. Participating in a team all-around can be demanding for the body, and more specifically, her knees, lower limbs, and legs. The 25-year-old understands that when she said,

“I have worked this in my head, and I wanted tonight to be a very special competition because, to me, that was my last all-around.” And a special day it was! She knew who she had to call first, especially after her gold win.

Rebeca Andrade opened up about her Paris Olympics win in a YouTube video titled, “REBECA ANDRADE NO MAIS VOCÊ – ENTREVISTA COMPLETA .” The host asked her who the Olympian had in her entourage. After talking about every single member, she brought up Aline Wolff, her physiologist. “When I won, the first thing I did was call up my psychologist, she played a huge role in my win.”

While she was still healing from her gruesome injuries, Wolff was right by her side. “After my injury, I was in one of the darkest phases of my career and she helped me get out of the slump. So when I picked up the win, I felt I owed her for helping me get through the tough times, she added. Rebeca’s hype team has been beside her throughout the tough times as Rebeca found a solid understanding of body awareness, but it didn’t keep Simone Biles too far away from giving the Sao Paulo native the necessary pep talk at critical junctures of her career.

Her first ACL injury snuck up on her in 2015. While she couldn’t compete at the World Championships that year, she returned to the mat in 2016 and represented her nation at the Rio Olympics. Even though she didn’t return with any Olympic hardware, she was looking forward to contesting again. The injury resurfaced in 2017 during the World Championships in Montreal. She was poised as the favourite for an all-around medal back then, but she had to withdraw. Struggling to find her form back in 2018, Rebeca was approached by her biggest competition who said she was too talented to give up yet.

She decided to return to competition while still recovering. But in 2019, she was dealt another setback with a third ACL injury during her floor routine at the Brazilian Nationals. It took three reconstructive surgeries on all three occasions, but Andrade came back stronger than before. At the Tokyo Olympics, she helped Brazil clinch the all-around silver medal before managing to best Biles by winning gold in the women’s vault. What Simone Biles did next was what characterizes the sportsmanship they share.

The American imitated lifting an imaginary crown off her head and placing it atop the Brazilian’s. “I’ve grown such affection for her,” Andrade told The Washington Post. Biles, too, noted that Rebeca was indeed her strongest challenger when she said, “I love competing with Rebeca. She does push me.”

She took things to the next level in Paris.

Andrade started off her Olympic campaign by helping Brazil win the bronze medal in the women’s team all-around. She followed it up with two silver medals, finishing second to Simone Biles in the individual all-around and vault events. Her crowning moment then came in the floor exercise when she bested Biles to take the gold medal.

Like Simone Biles, Rebeca Andrade has a positive outlook on mental health

As resilient as the gymnast is, Andrade didn’t shy away from admitting she needed help, much like Simone Biles. During the conversation, the host brought up, saying Biles’ Netflix documentary, Simone Biles: Rising, which showcases her journey from Tokyo’s twisties episode to return to the mat ahead of the Paris Olympics.

The host compared Biles and Andrade’s resilience when it comes to mental health. They pointed out. “There’s a documentary about her that I saw, and you probably saw it too, and it tells a bit of her story and everything with mental health struggles like yours. It’s a life of dedication, really, right? I think it’s what you all do.”

The gymnastics world was heartbroken when Simone Biles had to step down from the women’s team all-around finals in Tokyo. She opened up about her harrowing experience in her Netflix documentary. However, she took a different approach when it came to Paris. “I saw [my therapist] about three or four times throughout [the Olympics],” Biles said to keep twisties away.

Andrade’s therapist Aline Wolff focuses on this aspect when it comes to the Brazilian, too. Speaking to Fast Company Brasil during the Olympics, she spilt the beans on how she ensures the gymnast keeps a calm demeanour.

“Rebeca did not take on the obligations and expectations of others…It is liberating when we understand that we do not need to meet other people’s expectations and we do not need to connect with other people’s expectations. We commit to ourselves. We do not let go of ourselves,” Wolff said.

The psychologist’s approach is to ensure that mental health is not just talked about but worked towards as well. When it comes to the Brazilian, she doesn’t let the expectations many have clung to her. According to Wolff, the 25-year-old focuses on her expectations and goals.

For Rebeca Andrade, the moment in Paris with her standing at the top of the podium will forever remind her how she battled injuries and odds to reach this stage.