While most people would’ve hung up their leotard after one major injury, Simone Biles’s biggest rival, Rebeca Andrade, is still flipping the script, literally. “I really wanted to make the Brazilian national anthem play once again at an Olympics,” she said, highlighting her happiness from representing Brazil on the Olympic stage.
The Brazilian star has battled not one, not two, but three ACL tears, each one threatening to slam the door on her Olympic dreams. Layer that with a childhood marked by poverty, walking barefoot to training, and a mother working tirelessly as a maid to keep her dream alive, and it’s clear the odds were never in her favor. Initially toying with the idea of retirement after Paris, Rebeca Andrade delivered not just powerful routines, but also an emotional reason for one final flourish. “I had decided that I was going to end my career after these Olympics, so I wanted my mother to be able to watch me at least once, since she couldn’t go to Tokyo. Seeing her excited and proud, celebrating my achievements was the most beautiful moment of this edition for me,” she shared.
But instead of folding, Andrade turned pain into power. For Andrade, it was about crafting memories, chasing moments, and letting her heart soar for the one who cheered the loudest in silence. Despite everything, there’s still something that keeps her going. Something that makes it all worth it.
That reason? It’s deeper than medals or applause. In a raw and powerful interview with Olympics.com before accepting the 2024 Laureus Comeback of the Year award, she laid it out: “I’m not going to put a limit on my dreams, because I think that would be unfair after everything I’ve been through,” she said. “I have a lot of dreams and goals, but they might still be tucked away with me.” After years of rehab, surgeries, and the kind of mental battles that don’t show up on a scoreboard, she’s learned that dreaming isn’t a luxury—it’s a right she’s earned. That mindset? It’s what’s made her the face of one of the most inspiring comeback stories in sports today.
But Simone Biles’ favourite rival, Andrade, isn’t doing this alone. “What motivates me every day is knowing that it’s not just me who wants to be there, to achieve this goal, to have this dream, but my whole team,” she continued. “Not just the girls, my coach, the staff, my family – who are my peace and also my team.” That sense of shared purpose has become her anchor. In a sport often defined by individual brilliance, Andrade’s fuel is collective belief. Her routines may carry her name, but they’re built on the backs of everyone who’s helped her keep going through surgeries, tears, and those long days when giving up looked a little too easy.
So when Andrade steps onto the floor, it’s never just about landing a perfect vault or outscoring Simone Biles—it’s about showing up. Every leap, every twist, every finish is her quiet answer to every “you can’t” she’s ever heard. And in doing so, she’s becoming the kind of champion who leaves a mark far beyond the medal stand. After all, how could she walk away now? Not after everything she and her mom endured to get here, standing in front of Simone Biles.
Simone Biles’ biggest rival, Rebeca Andrade’s fights through pain, poverty, and podiums
Born in Guarulhos, São Paulo, Rebeca was one of eight kids raised by her mother, Rosa Rodrigues. She used to work as a maid and did everything possible to keep Rebeca Andrade’s dream alive. Sometimes that meant skipping her bus ride to work so Rebeca could use the pass to get to gymnastics. When even that wasn’t an option, her brothers would walk alongside her, two hours each way, just so she could train. She was four when she first set foot in the gym. By ten, her coach, Keli Kitaura, saw something special and brought her closer to the facility, letting her live near the gym during the week and head home on weekends.
But talent doesn’t shield you from pain. Between 2015 and 2019, Rebeca tore her ACL three times—all in the same knee. She missed the 2015 Worlds entirely and had to pull out mid-competition in 2017. Each injury meant surgery, rehab, and the mental weight of starting over. But even when her body gave out, her mindset didn’t. At just 13, she began working with a sports psychologist—a decision that became a game-changer for staying mentally strong through all the chaos. While others may have crumbled, Rebeca kept building.
All that grit? It paid off in gold. At Tokyo 2020, when Simone Biles withdrew due to twisties, Rebeca came to the spotlight and made history as the first Brazilian woman to win Olympic gold in gymnastics. She didn’t stop there—she kept the momentum rolling through Paris 2024, racking up more medals, and now she’s up for the LA28 Olympics. Rebeca’s journey is about proving that no matter how tough the road, the comeback can be even stronger than the setback.
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