Rosa Santos! More than just a name. She’s the backbone of Rebeca Andrade’s success, standing tall behind every one of her daughter’s achievements. Today, Rebeca is the second-most decorated gymnast in the world, trailing only the legendary Simone Biles. But her journey to six Olympic medals wasn’t all applause and podiums. It was a brutal battle filled with injuries that left her on the verge of giving it all up. And now the tables have turned!
Well, Biles recently revealed, “I’m tired, like she’s way too close. I’ve never had an athlete that close.” That’s how fierce Rebeca became! But here’s the real heart of the story—none of this would’ve happened if Rosa hadn’t stepped in when her daughter was ready to walk away. After all, Andrade’s ankles have been through more battles than most athletes face in a lifetime.
The start of her injury story began when she was only 16 years old and experienced her first ACL tear in 2015. This tested her to life! And then, life had one more cruel twist waiting for her in store. Another ACL tear occurred to her in 2017, resulting in her withdrawal from the World Championships. Gosh, two!! But wait!!! 2019 arrived carrying her third ACL tear that happened during her floor routine at the Brazilian Nationals competition. Three ACL tears?
Such a challenge might cause the most resilient athlete to decide to quit. In the same way, Andrade’s spirit almost shattered because of the ACL’s low self-healing capability and disappointing, unsuccessful outcomes. But the worst of all was the first injury. The physical part of surgery and rehabilitation proved tiring, yet the mental challenges proved even more difficult to overcome. After recovering from the first ACL, she experienced extreme fear in the gymnastics meet while training. So much so, that she might’ve quit right there.
In an interview with Elle.com, Andrade recalled that she called her mother to tell her she wanted to leave the competition. “Why don’t you want to do this anymore?” Rosa Santos asked. With great weight, her response revealed, “Mom, I just don’t want to.” They both understood at heart that the real issue stemmed from their fear. Her dread of changing into a different version of the athlete she previously was. But Rosa wasn’t having it.
“Your mother won’t let you stop because you’re afraid to try,” she told her daughter. “You’ll go to the gym. You’ll try. If you don’t succeed, then it’s okay. You have your house to come back to. We will welcome you. You will do other things in your life and everything will be fine, but you won’t give up without trying. I didn’t raise you like this.”
One pep talk from Rebeca Andrade’s mother enabled her to overcome any obstacle. Following her mother’s words of wisdom, Rebeca made herself stronger before returning to gymnastics once again. And guess what? At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Andrade achieved two milestones: she earned silver in the all-around competition and gold in the vault, making her the first Brazilian female gymnast to win Olympic medals.
Throughout everything, Rosa stood by her daughter not only as a strong foundation but also as her biggest cheerleader. After experiencing so many setbacks, Rosa understood what it took to overcome challenges, so she helped her daughter navigate through obstacles. The rest? Well, that’s gymnastics history. But Rebeca Andrade’s life has been full of struggles since the age of 4!
Rosa Santos planted the seed that helped Rebeca Andrade bloom
Rebeca Andrade didn’t grow up surrounded by luxury—far from it. She grew up on the outskirts of Guarulhos, São Paulo, where her mom, Rosa Santos, worked as a maid while raising eight kids alone. Their home was a single bedroom where Rosa and two younger brothers slept, while Rebeca and her siblings took over the living room. Sometimes, Rosa took young Rebeca to the homes she cleaned—mansions so big that Rebeca lost track of how many rooms there were.
But instead of making her daughter feel small, Rosa turned those moments into lessons. “Our simple life gives us everything we need,” she told her. That dream started to take shape when Rebeca was just four. She joined a free gymnastics program, where her natural talent quickly stood out.
Strong, flexible, and fearless, she made even the hardest moves look easy. But talent wasn’t enough; getting to practice was a struggle. When money was tight, Rebeca’s older brother walked miles with her to the gym, later selling scrap metal to buy a bicycle. That bike became their ticket to a future neither of them could’ve imagined.
And now? The little girl who once shared a crowded living room and walked miles to practice is now worth an estimated $1.5 million as of 2024, according to Yahoo. It’s proof that when dreams are fueled by determination and a family’s support, they can take you anywhere.
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