Rebeca Rodrigues de Andrade, born on May 8, 1999, in Guarulhos, Brazil, is a renowned artistic gymnast who has etched her name in history as the most decorated Brazilian and Latin American gymnast.
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With a total of 13 Olympic and World medals, Andrade’s remarkable achievements span across several prestigious competitions.
Early Life and Career
Growing up in a large family with a single mother, Rosa, Andrade’s journey into gymnastics began at the age of four.
Her mother worked tirelessly to fund Rebeca’s training, which started in a local gym and later saw her moving to Curitiba and then Rio de Janeiro to further her skills.
Fluent in Portuguese and English, Andrade is also proudly Afro-Brazilian.
Career Highlights
Andrade’s senior career has been marked by significant accomplishments. She is a two-time Olympic silver medalist (2020, 2024) and a World champion in the all-around (2022).
Additionally, she holds gold medals in the vault from the 2020 Olympics, the 2021 World Championships, and the 2023 World Championships.
Andrade led Brazil to its first team medal at the 2023 World Championships and the 2024 Olympics, winning silver and bronze respectively. She also secured gold at the 2021 Pan American Championships and the 2023 Pan American Games.
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Notably, Andrade is the first Brazilian female gymnast to earn an Olympic medal and only the second Brazilian woman to win a gold medal at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
She is among a select group of gymnasts to have medaled in every event at the World Championships, alongside Simone Biles and Aliya Mustafina.
2024 Paris Olympics
In the 2024 Paris Olympics, Andrade continued to shine. She contributed to Brazil’s historic bronze medal in the team all-around and claimed silver in the individual all-around final.
Personal Life and Recognition
Andrade gained significant recognition in Brazil following her success at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She appeared on the cover of Vogue Brasil in October 2021 and was awarded the Brazil Olympic Prize as the best Brazilian female athlete of the year.
Andrade has also worked with a psychologist to enhance her performance through visualization techniques and remains inspired by Brazilian gymnastics legend Daiane dos Santos.
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