My Story
I grew up in Bahia, the largest coastal state of Brazil. But even though the ocean was so close, it was distant from my everyday reality. My family did not have the financial means for trips to the beach, so in my childhood, the sea was more like a dream than something I experienced.
Years later, after moving to the United States for an exchange program, I visited Hawai‘i for what was supposed to be just two months. On my very first day, someone told me about a place called Shark’s Cove (a place that now feels like home to me). I went snorkeling there, and even though I didn’t know how to swim, I knew I could float, so I thought I would be fine. That day I saw people diving underwater with a calm and ease I had never seen before, and it captivated me. I felt like I was inside one of my dreams.
I made friends who shared their knowledge with me and told me that if we swam far enough, we might see dolphins. That was all the motivation I needed to fully commit to learning how to swim. I spent days practicing in a pool before joining, and when that day came, it became about much more than dolphins. It was the moment I truly embraced the water. My first time seeing the vast blue where I could barely see the bottom. In that moment, I let go of fear, allowed curiosity to lead me, and trusted myself.
Soon enough, with training, time, and patience, that girl who once could barely swim began diving deeper and deeper, 30 feet, then 60, then 100, then 130. Freediving became more than a sport. It became a way of knowing myself and trusting myself. And that was just the beginning of a journey that continues to unfold every day.
