The COVID-19 pandemic is still wreaking havoc on all levels of society, but it has brought forth a profound sense of solidarity. And the rewards are being reaped by the artistic swimming team of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo. ConaFla—the Committee of Parents and Friends of Flamengo Artistic Swimming—has launched a campaign to seek scholarship sponsorships for children without financial resources who have the potential to become future athletes in the sport.

The initiative took off, and 11 "godparents" offered to help by paying their "godchildren's" tuition for six months. Coordinator Roberta Perillier led a selection of 11 underprivileged children, who now train weekly in the club's pool.

Valéria Miccuci, mother of athletes Duda and Laura Miccuci, is the president of CONAFLA. She explained how the idea came about and how she secured sponsorships.

"The schools were closed due to the pandemic, and breaking this continuity for a year would have a profound impact on future generations of athletes. This caused us great concern. We needed to do something, and that's when this idea came to us. We sought out sponsors within our circle of friends, and fortunately, everything worked out. The pre-selected child will be evaluated for six months by the club's coaches, who will assess whether or not they have aptitude for the sport. Who knows, maybe we'll discover a future Olympic talent," he said.

Sérgio Brilhante is one of the businessmen who joined the campaign and "adopted" a child: 11-year-old Samuel dos Santos, the only boy in the project.    

"I joined right away. It's a great opportunity to provide a better future for a child. And sports are the best tool for developing a citizen. I hope it's a big boost for him in life. I was very grateful for the invitation and hope to continue helping. Helping is wonderful, and seeing the sparkle in his eyes is priceless," he said.

The meeting between the two took place at the club's pool and was filled with emotion. Samuel couldn't hold back the tears upon meeting his godfather and was deeply grateful for the opportunity.

"I wouldn't be here without this help. I really want to learn and when I grow up, I can represent Flamengo. I'm very happy here."

The artistic sports coordinator at “Mais Querido”, Roberta Perillier, doesn't hide her satisfaction at seeing these children in the club's pool.

"It's a wonderful solidarity project. These are children who wouldn't have the opportunity to be at Flamengo and weren't familiar with artistic swimming. Some, in fact, barely knew how to swim. We went door to door and made it happen. It may seem small, but being able to share our expertise and perhaps discover new talent is incredibly valuable for the sport. Who knows, these kids might become future Flamengo athletes. It would be amazing," he concluded.

The artistic swimming teams of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo rely on resources from their sponsors – Banco Bonsucesso, Furnas, Estácio, LafargeHolcim/Cimento Mauá, EY – via the Federal Incentive Law/Ministry of Sports (IR), in addition to support from the Brazilian Confederation of Clubs (CBC) resulting from the decentralization of resources originating from the Pelé Law.