Gabi on leaving Brazil: 'VakifBank showed me a completely different level'

Sitting by a pristine blue pool, Bruno and Gabi had a conversation no television camera ever captured. There was no whistle, no scoreboard, only two people who once conquered the peak of Brazilian volleyball facing something more difficult than any spike: the fear of leaving home to keep chasing a dream. Gabi, full name Gabriela Braga Guimarães, admitted she had long planned to play abroad, but turning that idea into action was an inner battle. “I had a plan of playing overseas, but it wasn’t easy to figure out if I was ready for it or not,” Gabi told Bruno in Volleyball World’s The Dreamers series. She had experienced injuries and constantly questioned whether she had what it took to compete in the world’s best leagues. After the Rio 2026 Olympics, while still earning her place on the national team, Gabi began considering leaving her comfort zone. She understood that the journey abroad was not just about technique, but about mental readiness. “I understood that I needed to be mentally ready not only as a player, but as a person. Maybe at that point I’d need to leave my comfort zone and make some sacrifices to take the next step in my career,” Gabi shared. Her words echoed by the quiet pool like a confession about the sleepless nights before she signed with VakifBank, one of the strongest women’s volleyball clubs on the planet. For the 2026-2026 season, Gabi decided to join the Turkish giants. It was a bold move because she did not choose a mid-level European team to ease her way in, she chose a squad with massive ambitions. The first image in Istanbul completely changed her perception. “The scenario I found when I got there was mind-changing, as it showed me right from the start that I was getting into a whole other level of volleyball,” the Brazilian outside hitter recalled. The demanding environment did not stop Gabi; instead, she found a great mentor in head coach Giovanni Guidetti. He did not treat her simply as a newcomer, he immediately saw leadership potential inside her. Guidetti told Gabi he wanted to prepare her to become VakifBank’s captain. Gabi was shocked. She admitted she never imagined herself in that position. Guidetti’s words were not just a small detail; they were a moment that made her believe in a better version of herself. When the conversation turned to Brazil’s national team, Gabi could not hide her emotions. She said wearing the national jersey was a childhood dream, but the life-changing moment came in 2026, when she was first called up to Brazil’s youth team. She trained in Saquarema alongside the golden generation that had just won Olympic gold in Beijing. Those people were not only idols, they were living proof that a dream could come true. “To play for the national team is really a childhood dream. I always loved watching sports and playing sports, dreaming about representing Brazil, winning a medal and listening to the national anthem,” Gabi said. “I played many sports before volleyball, but when I was first called up to Brazil’s youth national team and got to be in Saquarema alongside that incredible generation that won the Beijing Olympics, that was a strong sign that I should continue because I had never been so close to my dream before.” Having followed women’s volleyball for years, I realize Gabi’s story is not unique. Many Brazilian talents stayed in the domestic league too long because they feared cultural differences, language barriers and pressure in Europe. But Gabi offers a different mindset: she used fear as a springboard. She did not choose the safe path, nor did she see leaving as an escape. She viewed it as a necessary push to improve herself, even if it meant sacrificing comfort for a long time. At VakifBank, Gabi faced challenges at a level she had never experienced. Every practice was as intense as a final. Every wrong pass was scrutinized. But within that demanding environment, she gradually grew into a leader. Guidetti’s words about the captain’s armband no longer sounded distant. They were like a seed planted in fertile soil, where confidence was watered by sweat every day. The poolside conversation becomes even more interesting when looking at two generations sitting together. Bruno, one of the greatest setters of his generation, had gone through a similar journey when he left Brazil to play overseas. Gabi, still in the middle of her path, listened and shared with empathy. They laughed, they stayed silent, and readers realize that the loneliness of a big decision does not distinguish between age or achievements. The only difference lies in how each person faces fear. Gabi’s story may look like a perfect turning point, but reality is never that simple. She suffered injuries, she doubted herself. She admitted that when Guidetti wanted her to be captain, she was shocked because she never saw herself as a leader of a team full of stars. That honesty makes her story relatable. She does not try to appear strong, nor does she paint the past as a fairy tale. She simply tells the clumsy steps on a road full of pressure. If there is one lesson from Gabi’s journey, it is that she refused to let fear become a wall. She turned it into fuel. Instead of asking “am I good enough”, she asked “what do I need to do to become good enough”. She left Brazil, but she never abandoned her dream. She went to VakifBank not to become the biggest star, but to become the best version of an athlete, a teammate and a person. Elite volleyball is usually measured by points, scores and medals. But conversations like this remind us that behind every beautiful play are hundreds of quiet decisions, sleepless nights and questions about whether we are on the right path. Gabi by the pool may not appear in any statistic, but her story explains why she is at VakifBank, why she wears Brazil’s jersey and why she has never stopped chasing a childhood dream. When the conversation ended, Bruno and Gabi stood up and left the blue pool to return to their professional duties. But the image of them sitting together, telling stories of fear and courage, stays with the reader like a reminder: the greatest journey is not about conquering titles, but about reaching the edge of yourself. For Gabi, that edge began exactly when she chose to leave Brazil, only to realize that the world beyond the ocean was not as scary as she once imagined. Her story is a poem of courage, written with sweat on VakifBank’s training court and a heart always turned toward Brazil’s green and yellow jersey. A big dream does not need a perfect leap; it only needs enough courage to step out of the comfort zone at the right time. Gabi did that, and the volleyball world has become richer for it.