Eyeing the podium: Vanessa Cozzi

By Mariana Sá and Helena Petry - in 29/07/2019 às 17:04

After a year and a half of rowing, Vanessa Cozzi became pregnant with her daughter, Larissa. What could have been a reason to abandon her career actually became a motivation. With renewed energy, she returned to rowing and qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, achieving the place every athlete aspires to.

At 35, Vanessa has now secured a spot in her first Pan American Games. Despite her brief eight-year career in the sport, the rower will have the opportunity to achieve even more and, who knows, perhaps reach the Olympics again.

In the series "Eye on the Podium," Flamengo's official website tells the stories of some of the club's and Brazil's top athletes, covering their personal lives, careers, and, of course, their favorite. Learn more about those who make Flamengo and Brazil's Olympic sports stronger.

Beginning of rowing

I started rowing in May 2012 in São Paulo. I decided to pursue it professionally when I qualified for the 2016 Olympics. I'd already wanted to, but when I qualified in 2015, I was still working in marketing and only training part-time. When I went to the Games, I took unpaid leave to compete. In 2017, I returned to work and juggled both, but last year I focused solely on training.

Arrival at Flamengo

I joined in February of this year. I already knew the club from having trained here before for the Brazilian National Team. I often competed in the Double Sculls with Flamengo rowers, so I came to camp. I always really liked the facilities, and this opportunity arose. I thought this was where I needed to go to achieve my next goals. I didn't know of a better place. I was in Pinheiros, which was also great, but this is the perfect place for Olympic preparation.

A defining moment with the Mantle

Oddly enough, it was my first competition, the 1st State Regatta. I competed in the Open Single Sculls category, which isn't even my category, and the Lightweight Four. I entered this race thinking only of performing well, but without much expectation. After the 1.000m, I was already in the prize money and started pushing hard. I passed the first-place finisher and took the gold medal. It was a combination of events that left a lasting impression on me.

Difficulties in being a high-performance athlete

The biggest challenge is being able to dedicate yourself and give up a lot of things. Being an athlete isn't just training Monday through Saturday; it's 24 hours a day, year-round. You have to understand that you'll be missing family birthdays, for example. It's happened to me that I ended up away for my own birthday, and for my daughter's. You'll miss out on going out, on traveling. I still have to divide my time between Rio and São Paulo, spending a lot of time away from them. You have to understand this and know that you're giving yourself up, because it's a profession that demands 100% of your energy. You need to eat a healthy diet, rest, and forgo socializing. But when the results come, you realize it was worth it.

Rio 2016

It was an incredible experience. A high-performance athlete's biggest dream is to reach the Olympics, to be there representing their country in an event that takes place every four years and that everyone wants to attend, but few people in the world can go. Being part of this select group is already a huge achievement, especially in a place that doesn't have as much rowing tradition as Brazil. Achieving this is incredible, it's unparalleled. Because it was here, my family was able to see it, several friends were there, and the energy of the Brazilian fans is unique. So it was very special. Now I'm trying for Tokyo 2020.

Main competitions of 2019

This year, first, it was the National Team Trials, and now it's the Pan American Games. It will be my first time, and I have high expectations to represent my country. Then I have to think about the Olympic qualifiers, which are either the 2019 World Cup or the pre-Olympics next year. Right now, my focus is solely on the Pan American Games. I'm training incredibly hard like never before, with a lot of volume, intensity, and a total focus on the sport. My expectation is to qualify to represent my country in the best possible way. If I can make it to my second Olympics, I'll be even more emotionally prepared.

Routine

I leave at 5:15, have breakfast, and get here around 6:30. Then I have two training sessions, go home, and return for two more work sessions.

Family and the importance of the daughter

I have a four-year-old daughter who was born in 2014. I had started rowing a year and a half earlier. I competed in the Pan American Trials in Toronto, and that's when I realized I had things to achieve in this sport. I started rowing late, but I already had the physical fitness for another sport. Then I got pregnant with Larissa the month after the Trials and spent the rest of the year without training. I returned in 2015 and went to the Olympics in 2016. My daughter happened midway through the process, but she was essential for giving me all the strength I needed to continue. I'm married to a rower, Renan (Koplewski de Castro), who encouraged me and got me into the sport. He competed in the 2007 Pan American Games and finished second; he's now retired. At home, I have a lot of support from my family, my parents, and my siblings. To be here in Rio, I have someone taking care of my daughter in São Paulo and helping with logistics so I can have peace of mind. My home is there and I'm always going to see them, as well as training for a while in SP.

Swimming period

Many people don't know this, but I competed in swimming for 12 years. I didn't come from nowhere. I was in the 200m breaststroke and 4000m freestyle at the time. I've always been very thin, so I excelled in those. My best title was third in the Brazilian Championships. I never represented the Brazilian National Team because I left swimming early; I only stayed until I was 21. Then I competed in Marathon Swimming, finishing second overall in a Paulista Championship where I only competed in the final stages and did very well. After that, I spent six years doing other things non-competitively. Then I met my husband and started rowing.

Idol in sports

It's usually the people who stand out. I've read a lot about Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps, and they're there, and it's no coincidence. The same goes for Ayrton Senna. I look at several athletes in my category in rowing, like Zoe McBride from New Zealand and Ilse Paulis from the Netherlands, who won my race at Rio 2016.

Hobbies

Travel and dance.

Do you follow other modalities?

Swimming and running.

Free time

I try to rest, read a book, go for a walk with my family. Very peaceful things.

Technical sheet

Name: Vanessa Cozzi de Castro

Date of birth: 25/03/1984

Age: 35 years

Height: 1,85m

Place of Birth: São Paulo