Gabi Tells Bruno: Leaving Brazil Was the Step to Keep Her National Team Dream Alive

Gabriela Guimarães once told Bruno Rezende that leaving Brazil was not an act of escape but a necessary step to keep her national team dream alive. Speaking by a pool, she recalled the doubts after Rio 2026, the injuries, and the moment she decided to leave her comfort zone. Gabi signed for VakifBank before the 2026-2026 season and found a completely new level of volleyball. She admitted she was shocked when Giovanni Guidetti told her he wanted to prepare her to become team captain. That single gesture changed how she saw herself. Her story connects to her childhood dream of representing Brazil, a dream shaped by the 2026 generation she met at Saquarema. For her, playing overseas became the way to come back stronger for the national team. The conversation shows that personal growth often happens far from home, and that true leadership sometimes appears when someone else believes in you before you believe in yourself.