Ana Patrícia and Rebecca debuted at the Olympics with victory and continue in the dream of winning a medal. But Ana Patrícia’s trajectory with beach volleyball started long before Tokyo: it was in the Viva o Esporte/Ramacrisna Project that she started her life as an athlete.
It was in 2013 that Ana was discovered: she participated in the School Games and competed for handball in her hometown, Espinosa, which is in the North of Minas Gerais. Her performance caught the attention of one of the delegates and she was soon called to test at the Minas Gerais Beach Volleyball Team.
Thus, Ana Patrícia moved to Betim and joined the team trained by coach Giuliano Sucupira, from the Viva o Esporte/Ramacrisna Project, a partnership between the Ramacrisna Institute and the Municipality of Betim. Here, she learned the fundamentals of beach volleyball and soon stood out. In 2015, Ana Patrícia was invited to train at the Volleyball Development Center, in Saquarema, winning the first tournaments in the world. Now, about to turn 24, Ana Patrícia competes in the biggest competition in the world: the Olympics. And it’s a hope of medals for Brazil.
Rupia Inck: another star of the Viva o Esporte Project
Reprodução: Instagram
But Ana Patricia is not the only Viva o Esporte athlete to have competed in world championships: Rupia Inck, also a beach volleyball player, is part of the project and participated in the World Championship.
Angela Lavale’s duo began their career in indoor volleyball at 13 years old. And she has played for Minas Gerais Tennis Club and for the Brazilian youth team. At that time, he played in the Volleyball Superligue for two seasons, won the U-16 South American Championship and took bronze at the U-18 World Championship. At the age of 20, Rupia moved to the United States, combining a career in sports with a degree in Psychology.
In addition to the United States, Rupia has played on teams in the Philippines and Turkey. And, in 2018, she decided to return to Brazil and moved from the courts to the sand. It was isn beach volleyball that Rupia joined Projeto Viva o Esporte/Ramacrisna, being coached by coach Giuliano Sucupira until today. Joined in 2019, when she moved to Betim
For the first time, Rupia competed in the Beach Volleyball World Championship. And, despite not advancing to the round of 16, Rupia and Angela managed to qualify for the main beach volleyball tournament, taking ninth place in the ranking.
For Rupia, the Viva o Esporte/Ramacrisna Project was an important part of her professionalization in beach volleyball, “I’m proud to wear the shirt. Viva o Esporte is fundamental for my career. The project’s professionals are effective and allow me to have the structure to be a professional athlete, an opportunity I didn’t have in my hometown (Uberaba)”, she evaluates.
Now, Rupia is preparing to look for a place in the Olympic Games in Paris, in 2024. For this, she has the work and support of coach Giuliano Sucupira. She praises his dedication: “I can set bigger goals because I’m being coached by him. I’m not afraid to plan on going to the Olympics. Being coached by him gives me this courage: I have the best coach in Brazil and I have a lot of confidence in him”, she declares.
About the Viva o Esporte/Ramacrisna Project
The Viva o Esporte Project is a partnership between the Ramacrisna Institute and the Municipality of Betim, with sports activities in 11 different centers. And the objective is to expand the offer of free body, sport, leisure, recreation and sport practices for the community. Activities are available for people of all ages, genders and with and without disabilities, accompanied by specialized professionals. In the project, the following modalities are developed:
- Athletics
- Basketball
- Futsal
- Aesthetic gymnastics
- Acrobatic gymnastics
- Artistic gymnastics
- Rhythmic gymnastics
- Adapted physical activity
- Bicicross (BMX cycling)
- Indoor volleyball
- Master volleyball (for athletes over 35 years old)
- sand volleyball
- Handball
- Lian gong (body practice based on Traditional Chinese Medicine)
- Trampoline
- Taekwondo
- Judo
- Chess
- Sports initiation
In addition to practicing sports, the students of the Viva o Esporte/Ramacrina Project also receive psychological care, a physiotherapist and a social worker. For the vice president of the Ramacrisna Institute, Solange Bottaro, Viva o Esporte contributes to the improvement of physical and mental health, to the exercise of citizenship and to human transformation.
“The Ramacrisna Institute, through partnerships such as this one with the Municipality of Betim, promotes the transformation of the lives of children and young people, building a dignified future and sport is a form of personal and professional growth that rewards its athletes through recognition of society”, she says.
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