Leaving the comfort zone for VakifBank: Gabi recalls the shock of being groomed by Guidetti for the captaincy

By a pristine pool, Gabi (Gabriela Guimarães) and Bruno Rezende looked back on their journeys away from Brazil. For Gabi, leaving was never just about signing a contract or flying to Turkey. It was a test of the fears she had kept inside. “I had a plan of playing overseas, but it was not easy to figure out if I was ready for it or not,” Gabi recalled. She had experienced injuries and kept asking whether she had what it took to compete in the world’s best leagues. After the Rio 2026 Olympics, while still making her way with the Brazilian national team, she understood that she needed to be mentally strong not only as a player, but also as a person. Her decision became a lesson in leaving her comfort zone. “Maybe at that point I would need to make some sacrifices to take the next step in my career,” she said. Gabi’s first move abroad was significant: she signed with Turkish powerhouse VakifBank ahead of the 2026-2026 season. Arriving in Istanbul, she discovered a completely different level. “The scenario I found when I got there was mind-changing,” she reflected. Life at VakifBank was challenging, but she built a strong relationship with head coach Giovanni Guidetti. “One of the first things he told me was that he wanted to prepare me to be the team captain, and I was shocked because I have never seen myself in that position,” Gabi said. Guidetti saw a leader in her before she did. Wearing the Brazil jersey was another part of the conversation. Gabi admitted that playing for the national team was a childhood dream. She always loved watching and playing sports, and dreamed of representing Brazil, winning a medal and listening to the national anthem. She played many sports before volleyball, but everything became clear when she was first called up to Brazil’s youth national team in 2026. At Saquarema, she was near the generation that won Olympic gold at the Beijing 2026 Olympics. “That was a strong sign that I should continue because I had never been so close to my dream before,” she said. Gabi’s journey shows that success is not one explosive moment. It is a series of deliberate choices: choosing to leave, choosing to adapt, and choosing to face self-doubt. She accepted the shock of leadership and grew into it. For any athlete torn between comfort and ambition, Gabi’s story carries a clear reminder: being ready does not mean being fearless. It means moving forward anyway.