Alone To Brazil For Five Weeks

From the Court to the Sand – and Straight to Brazil

At the beginning of March, I started questioning whether indoor volleyball was really my thing after all. Shortly after that, I heard that a new head coach had been found for the national team and that he’d be coming to Finland the following week. I went back to beach volleyball training and instantly realized: this is where I’m meant to be. Knowing that a new coach was in place made the decision even easier.

In my life, I need at least one thing I can throw all my chips into. It was clear that the new coach — Lissandro — and my training partners would be leaving for over a month of tournaments the following week. For me, that would’ve meant scattered training sessions without a real plan. That just wasn’t going to work.

A Quick Decision to Leave for Brazil

March 14

I had seen that a Swiss player I followed on Instagram had been training in Brazil for some time. I messaged her on Friday and asked if it might be possible for me to join. I found out pretty quickly that yes — it absolutely was. But before booking anything, I had to consider: is it really safe for a blonde twenty-something to travel alone to Brazil? Will I get robbed the first day or worse? Thankfully, Shana gave me a pretty reassuring picture of the place, and I also learned that accommodation was available just 20 meters from the courts. After thinking it over for a very short moment, I bought a ticket for Sunday morning.

I’m lucky to have such amazing support around me that allowed me to leave so quickly without too much hassle. Still, there was one thing that stung: I had planned — and almost promised — to babysit my goddaughter in Turkey, and spend some time vacationing with my loved ones. Having to cancel things like that is one of the hardest parts of being an athlete. But luckily, I’m surrounded by other athletes who understand that when it’s time to go — you go. In the end, my mom got to enjoy some sunny time with my goddaughter instead.

Arriving in Brazil and First Impressions

March 16–17

I landed in Recife during the night between Sunday and Monday, and the club’s "manager" — who was actually a strength and conditioning coach — was there to meet me. He took care of all the arrangements. That says a lot about the people there: Riceler drove two hours by taxi, late at night, just to make sure I arrived safely.

Training Weeks in Paradise

The next five weeks I got to focus fully on training in ideal conditions. It was quickly obvious that beach volleyball is huge in Brazil. Everything was super professional — from physical testing to training sessions where we often had five coaches on hand, at the very least three.

Safety

I felt mostly very safe, aside from one incident where a friend of mine was robbed near an area I also frequented. It didn’t really shock me or increase my fear, because I knew that kind of thing could happen. I used Uber to get everywhere if the destination was even slightly outside the beach area. Everything was super cheap — including Uber — so it didn’t end up being expensive. My accommodation had a reception desk and was not open to just anyone. One evening, I hosted a dinner for some friends, and they all had to show their passports at reception. Guests also had to be approved by both me and the landlord. The place was pricier than some other options, but I wasn’t willing to take any unnecessary safety risks. Luckily, I got a good deal — a two-bedroom apartment for the price of a one-bedroom — so space wasn’t an issue either.

Language Barrier

Even though the language barrier was pretty significant, I still met new people and spent a lot of time with them. In Finland, that kind of connection doesn’t happen as easily anymore, but maybe it was simpler there because everyone had a similar daily rhythm. In a way, I actually enjoyed the language barrier — I could just be and enjoy everyone’s company without the pressure of having to talk all the time. Although sometimes I did wish I knew what people were laughing about, and didn’t always want to bother my one friend (shoutout to Nick) to translate everything for me.

What I Took Away from the Experience

Mental and Physical Growth

I developed a lot during the camp — both mentally and physically. While I’ve always known it, this experience made me realize even more concretely how much attitude and energy matter in a partner. You can’t always choose your teammate, but you can choose how you act — and that energy reflects on the whole team. I was often completely exhausted physically, but I found mental strategies to push through and keep growing.

Off the Court

I took a lot away from off-court moments too. The biggest lessons came from the Brazilians’ energy and their ability to appreciate the simple things. The value of just spending time together — without needing a special reason to be there.

All in all, it was an incredibly successful five weeks, and I’m so glad I went — it definitely wasn’t a rushed decision after all. From Brazil, I’ll head to Tenerife for a 10-day camp with my new coach. Can’t wait to get to know him better and keep learning :)