Stronger, Healthier, Anywhere.

At just 22 years old, Giovanna Gurgel became Brazil’s national weightlifting champion in 2025 with a total of 195kg in the women’s -77kg category. Yes, you read that right — this young woman lifts more than twice her bodyweight.

Behind her success is Paulo Fernando Neves, a coach who dedicates himself to teaching Olympic weightlifting to kids, teens, and athletes coming from CrossFit. Together, they’re rewriting the story of weightlifting in Brazil — an Olympic sport that still fights for space, recognition, and resources in the country.

In our interview, Paulo shared the barriers and small victories of growing the sport, while Giovanna opened up about the challenges of being both an athlete and a woman in weightlifting.

👉 Click the video to watch our full interview!

An Athlete in Brazil

Brazil is an AMAZING country (ok, I am biased, but that is true), full of sunshine, nature, and warm people. But being Brazilian is not that easy. High unemployment rates, corruption in the background, violence, chaotic traffic jams, no work-life balance in the big cities such as Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. AND on top of that, being an athlete is even tougher. 

Giovanna explained that she has to balance her athletic career with her job in advertising. Extra costs such as training gear, weightlifting shoes, supplements, physio, nutritionists — it all adds up on top of normal life costs. “The cost of living as an athlete is much higher than normal,” she said. 

The government program Bolsa Atleta helps elite athletes who already have results in national or international competitions. In 2025, it supported 9,207 athletes, a record number, but the monthly allowance ranges from only R$370 to R$3,100 — barely enough when one pair of weightlifting shoes can cost up to R$2,000. For new talents, especially those from low-income families, opportunities remain painfully limited.

There are initiatives like Mangueira do Futuro and programs supported by the Brazilian Navy that help discover new talent, especially in big cities. But Brazil is a continental country, and many states remain completely forgotten.

Still today, Giovanna and other athletes often train inside CrossFit boxes, which don’t always have the ideal setup or equipment. “It’s been a slow process,” Paulo told me, “but the sport is gaining space — with a lot of resistance and effort.”

Breaking Barriers: Kids and Women in the Sport

Paulo, who is also a CrossFit coach, started recruiting athletes one by one. After classes, he would approach people individually, convincing them to try weightlifting. Despite being an Olympic sport, weightlifting in Brazil has little federal support, low visibility, and very limited resources.

The challenges weightlifting faces in Brazil go beyond financial resources, there is also the misinformation. Parents are quick to sign their kids up for judo — where a 35kg child throws another of the same weight to the ground — but when the subject is lifting a 10kg bar, suddenly it’s “too dangerous.”

Paulo told me he loves working with kids because, “they don’t have the bad habits from other sports, no mental blocks and no fear — they just execute the movement.” But most of his young athletes come through family connections or because someone in the family does CrossFit. There is always that taboo “the kid won’t grow”.

For women, the barriers are even heavier. Giovanna faced prejudice not only in gyms but also within her own family. She heard comments like, “Your body will look too masculine.” Today she laughs at the reactions she gets in conventional gyms, where people stare in disbelief when she lifts weights most men don’t even attempt.

Paulo also notices the gender dynamics: “In my experience, women usually progress more in weightlifting than men. They focus on technique, while many men stop evolving after reaching a certain load because they’re more worried about image.”

Beyond the Barbell

For Giovanna, weightlifting is more than competition. “When I first snatched my bodyweight, I felt like nothing in life could stop me. I thought: how many people in the world can do this?” The sport has changed her relationship with her body and given her a lot of self-confidence.

For Paulo, weightlifting is a tool to change lives in poor communities. He recalls the story of Isabelly da Silva, who at just 14 years old set a world record in the snatch — coming from a favela in Rio. “Sport opens doors where there are none,” he told me.

Brazil: The Country of Football

Since 2020, Brazil has ranked among the top exporters of professional football players in the world. Football dominates media, funding, and cultural imagination. Meanwhile, other sports like artistic gymnastics, table tennis, and weightlifting barely receive a fraction of the attention or resources.

But Paulo and Giovanna see hope. Each medal, each record, and each breakthrough moment helps weightlifting gain visibility. And behind every athlete is a community cheering louder than the funding, determined to push the sport forward.

Weightlifting in Brazil is not just a lift, it’s a fight — against lack of support, social prejudice, and limited resources. But it’s also a celebration of resilience, passion, and community.

🏋️ Over to You!
What’s the biggest barrier YOU’ve faced in your fitness journey?
Tell me in the comments — let’s build this community together.

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