What Olympic sports do you enjoy watching the most?
As a proud Brazilian, I enjoy watching football (soccer) during the Olympic Games. It’s like having intercalated World Cup editions between the real ones. It’s always an opportunity to root for my home country. But since I was a child, I really cheer for the Brazil men’s volleyball team. They are such a strong team. They won a few gold medals, including the ones in Barcelona 1992, Athens 2004, and Rio de Janeiro 2016.
I know that they are a team. Yet, two of the members, a player and the coach, are such an inspiration for many Brazilians, including me.
Bernardinho
Bernardinho is a such a strong presence on the volleyball court. You can hear him screaming at the players all the time. When he’s not screaming, he’s grunting in despair or throwing his arms in the air. You would think that the players would resent him, but far from it. He’s simply pushing them forward from outside the court, and it works. The players and spectators are already used to it. As of 2021, with 48 medals overall, he is the most successful team sport coach of all time.
Douglas Souza
Another role model for me is Douglas Souza. He’s openly gay and is currently the most followed volleyball player in the world in Instagram. During the last Olympic Games, Paris 2024, he posted many good humored videos and pictures, and I started following him. I admire him not only for his performance during the games, but also for unapologetically being himself. We need more of that in sexist environments like sports.
We have an opinion that when we are in a team, we are just supposed to act the same. We should diminish ourselves and not let our personality go above the others. But maybe that’s all wrong. We are what we are and our differences are what makes the team strong. A team where everyone has the same skills can hardly succeed. See the example of Brazil men’s volleyball team. Let’s celebrate our diversity in every little thing.