I have always been passionate about the sea, but in Brazil I always lived far from it and never had the opportunity to learn how to swim in open water.
In January, I decided I would learn to swim in open water as a new challenge.
It was literally not easy. My first lesson had huge waves, extremely cold water, and the deep ocean beneath me—but giving up was not an option.
Little by little, I overcame the cold, the depth, and the kilometers. I realized I wanted more. I had already completed two 750m races, and in training I was swimming longer distances, which encouraged me to push further.
Num desafio ousado e difícil me inscrevi para 3000m em Sines. Literalmente um grande sonho imaginar que alguém que nada há 6 meses vá tão longe.
Então o grande dia chegou, as borboletas começaram a voar e pensei o que realmente estou fazendo, e mais uma vez desistir não era uma opção.
Beyond my family, who of course believe in and support my dreams, there was Anabela—an impeccable coach who was always there whenever I needed her. And in Sines, it was no different. She kept telling me I would succeed, always encouraging and supporting me.
At the start, there was fear and insecurity about not finishing the goal.
There were three laps—just 3 laps, I kept telling myself.
At the beginning of the second lap, I got “run over by sharks,” haha—pulls, strokes everywhere—but I kept going, a little fish in the sea, confident I would finish.
Before I even completed the second lap, the “sharks” came again, haha. I thought maybe I should give up, everyone had already gone ahead, and discouragement started to creep in. I asked my father and God to give me strength
I began the third lap, and then I heard the voice of an angel shouting, “LET’S GO, YOU CAN DO IT!” It made me want to cry, because there were people there who believed in my strength and courage. And then the angel stayed by my side—guiding me, encouraging me, motivating me—shouting, “You’re almost there, come on, just a little more,” kilometer by kilometer, buoy by buoy, until the finish.
And there I was, arriving to complete the greatest challenge of my life.
With an incredible crowd cheering, supporting me at every kilometer—I wish I could hug each one of them and say how important they were, how much they made a difference in that moment.
It wasn’t easy, but I did it—thanks to all the support I had before, during, and after the race.
To my angel Bibiana, I will never have enough words to thank you. You did what a true leader should do, and that is why I admire you both as a person and as an athlete. Having you by my side was essential.
To Swim4Fun and everyone involved, thank you so much for the experience and the support.
To my family, for supporting my crazy ideas and always being there.
Now it’s time to think about a new challenge.
Alessandra Lopes