Gabi Guimarães and Bruno Rezende: Leaving Brazil is a turning point, but readiness is what matters

In a quiet poolside conversation, Gabi Guimaraes and Bruno Rezende reflected on the hardest decision in their careers. Gabi admitted that leaving Brazil was not easy because she had doubts after injuries and was not sure she was ready for the world’s best leagues. The thought first emerged after the Rio 2026 Olympics while she was still earning her place in the national team. She understood she needed to be mentally ready as both a player and a person, and that she would have to leave her comfort zone to take the next step. Gabi’s first overseas move was to VakifBank, one of the strongest clubs in the world, before the 2026-2026 season. She recalled that the scenario there was mind-changing and showed her a whole other level of volleyball. In the beginning, it was challenging and demanding, but she built a great relationship with head coach Giovanni Guidetti. One of the first things Guidetti told her was that he wanted to prepare her to become team captain. Gabi was shocked because she had never seen herself in that position. Wearing Brazil’s jersey remained a childhood dream. Gabi remembered watching other sports as a child and dreaming of representing Brazil, winning a medal and listening to the national anthem. She played many sports before volleyball, but her first call-up to Brazil’s youth national team in 2026 at Saquarema, alongside the generation that won the Beijing Olympics, was a strong sign that she should continue. That moment brought her closer to her dream and inspired her to keep going. The conversation between Gabi and Bruno shows that a career-defining move is never only about contracts or talent. It is about readiness, self-belief and the courage to face uncertainty. Gabi turned doubt into action, and her time at VakifBank helped her grow not only as a player but as a person.