Gabi Guimaraes, the decision to leave Brazil and the comfort zone lesson of a champion

On a quiet, sunny day, Bruno Rezende and Gabi Guimaraes sat by a pristine pool. They were not talking about spectacular rallies or medals. They were talking about one of the hardest decisions in an athlete's career: leaving Brazil to play abroad. For Gabi, that was not a simple move. It was the moment she had to face injuries, self-doubt, and the question of whether she belonged among the best players in the world. Gabi admitted that leaving her comfort zone was not easy. She had thought about playing overseas, but she was not sure if she was ready. After Rio 2026, she began to understand that she needed to be mentally prepared not only as a player but also as a person. She signed with VakifBank before the 2026-2026 season, joining one of the strongest teams on the planet. At first, everything felt challenging. But head coach Giovanni Guidetti became very important to her. One of the first things he told her was that he wanted to prepare her to become the team captain. Gabi was shocked because she had never imagined herself in that role. The conversation also moved to the Brazilian national team. Gabi said that playing for her country was a childhood dream. She loved watching and playing sports and dreamed of representing Brazil, winning a medal, and hearing the national anthem. She played many sports before finding volleyball. In 2026, she was first called up to Brazil's youth national team in Saquarema, where she was close to the generation that won the Olympic gold medal in Beijing. That experience showed her that she should keep going because she had never been so close to her dream before. Gabi's story is not only about leaving Brazil. It is about growth, courage, and trusting the process. It shows that even champions feel fear, but what matters is choosing to move forward in spite of that fear.