From climbing bunk beds at 2 to perfecting the Cheng vault at 21, Rebeca Andrade has come a long way. She has mastered the move, something many gymnasts still struggle with. The Olympic vaulting champion clinched a silver medal at her second Summer Games in Tokyo, becoming the first Olympic medalist for Brazil in women’s gymnastics. She then went on to win the first ever Olympic gold for Brazil by clinching the top spot in the final vault event. Her whole act left everyone in the stands mesmerized. 

But her journey to the grand stage hasn’t been a cakewalk. Rebeca Andrade is the youngest out of seven siblings born to a single mother. “The hardest part was the financial aspect,” the Olympian said about the hardships she faced during her childhood. But when she finally made it to the floor, 3 gruesome ACL injuries in a span of 4 consecutive years only made things worse. Despite it all, Andrade went on to win 9 medals at the World Championships and clinch 2 medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This season there’s only one thing on Andrade’s mind: the 2024 Paris Olympics. But who are her siblings, and how did they help her set off on this arduous journey? 

All about the Andrade Tribe

Rebeca Andrade had her humble beginnings in Guarulhos, Brazil. Her mother, Rosa, cleaned houses to make ends meet. She would often walk to work just so Andrade could continue honing her skills. The youngest of eight, took her first step on the floor when she was 4. But her mother remembers her starting sooner. She was climbing bunk beds and doing cartwheels; a year later, she didn’t even need to use her hands. 

When Andrade was four, Rosa’s sister took them to a local gymnasium she worked at. While Andrade impressed the coaches, she wasn’t the only one who went on to focus on gymnastics. Yago, Igor, and Henrique, three out of seven of her brothers, also trained as gymnasts as kids. While it might seem like she followed in their footsteps, she now has several accolades to her name. Rosa describes Andrade as an exceptionally affectionate girl with lots of energy. She would often hold hands and talk her siblings’ ears off. 

But while she had a great relationship with all seven of her siblings, she was closest to her brother, Emerson. They might have been 9 years apart, but Emerson and Andrade would be like two peas in a pod during her early years. Andrade and her family didn’t have it easy. With just one room and one bathroom in the house to share, the family would often have to rely on donated clothes and borrowed money for food. 

But Andrade and her siblings didn’t let this come in the way of what she wanted. Their terrible financial situation often meant Andrade would have to walk to the gym, but her brothers would take her most of the times. Emerson has had the largest influence on Andrade’s journey, more so than we know.

Emerson played a pivotal part in her journey to the Olympic stage

Andrade’s mother Rosa worked as a maid to make sure she could look after all of her children. But, this didn’t stop Rebeca Andrade from dreaming big. Emerson would often walk Andrade to the training center. But on one of their walks he noticed a rusty bike. After fixing it up, they would ride to the training center together. While the bike often broke down, this was their preferred way of travelling. Emerson was only 13 when he started chaperoning his 4-year-old sister.

Andrade made the national team and represented her nation in Tokyo, her second Olympic run. Her family was just as excited as she was with the news. In conversation with The Guardian, Emerson expressed, “It’s indescribable. There’s no way of measuring what you feel.” This moment had him beaming with pride. He then reminisced about what the finals were like for the family, “By 5.30am we all had our eyes glued to the screen. It was super-early.” Watching Andrade perform after recovering from 3 intense ACL surgeries over the years had him captivated. 

Emerson always knew his little sister was destined for great things. He stated, “We saw [back then] that she had real ability – but nothing was guaranteed at all. So it was so gratifying to see everything worked out in the end.” Overcome with joy, Emerson lets us in on how his family felt after Andrade’s win. “We didn’t want to scream too loudly because of the time of day.  We were over the moon but we had to control ourselves because of the neighbours.” It must’ve been surreal watching his sister bring home 2 Olympic medals, both being a first for the nation. 

The 2024 Paris Olympics are right around the corner, and Rebeca Andrade is preparing for her third run on the grand stage. The entire nation will be watching in anticipation. Hoping she can repeat what she did in the 2020 Summer Games. Emerson and the Andrade tribe have always been Rebeca’s biggest cheerleaders. Will they get to see her walk away with a few more medals to her name? Only time will tell.