Brazilian success coach Rosicleia Campos has retired and replaced by a new team of coaches. The outspoken and always remarkable coach of the Brazilians stepped down from the coaching chair. She led technical aspects of the sport as CBJ’s Technical Coordinator but in Tokyo Campos was already making the difficult decision to retire from elite sport altogether to concentrate more fully on supporting her family, specifically her mother who has been unwell for some time.
Campos: For 37 years I was at the service of the Brazilian judo team. At the age of 15 I made my first international trip to represent our country and proudly wore the judogi with the emblem of Brazil on my chest. I was so proud then and I still am today.
I didn’t imagine that at that time I was starting a relationship that would become the passion of my life. I was an athlete from 15 to 31 years old, represented our country and Clube de Regatas Flamengo at two Olympic Games, in Barcelona in 1992 and also Atlanta in 1996.
In 2000, my retirement as an athlete came and I was invited to join the coaching board at the Sydney Olympics. In 2001 I took over the under 18 team. In 2002 I moved to the under 21 team. In 2005 I began one of the most challenging phases of my life, being the coach of the senior women’s team.
Migrating from athlete to coaching staff, was a path of tension and of many trials. Without the collectivity and support of some people, family, club, CBJ, it would not have been possible to remain in place.”
“The challenge was not just for working within an emerging female judo, but also for being a woman myself, a woman in a sport which took a long time to recognise the professional potential of women, accepting and her skills in the definitive conquest of space and respect, with autonomy of independent actions.
The path was not easy. Resistance to having a woman at the head of the national team came from several sides: coaches, athletes, officials. As no-one gets anywhere alone, we fought together for this space: me, Ney Wilson and Roberto Perilier. Along the way the results showed that the choices were right. We conquered the Americas and then the world.
World-wide success
Having public recognition and honour in receiving the Brasil Olímpico Award for best individual sports coach in 2011 crowned a job that was really just beginning. At that time, some goals were achieved: 7 medals at the Pan American Games in Rio (Dani Polzin, Erika Miranda, Dani Zangrando, Danielli Yuri, Mayra Aguiar, Edinanci Silva, Priscila Marquês, working with our physio, Roberta Mattar), our Olympic dream being realised through beautiful Ketleyn Quadros and her medal in Beijing in 2008 and the door to the worlds opened in 2010, with the first world conquest of Mayra Aguiar and Suelen Altheman.”
“After so many unprecedented achievements came the Olympic gold from Sarah Menezes in London in 2012, the world gold from Rafaela in 2013 and many other Olympic and world medals, alongside others that came very close, like my Portelinha! (Maria Portela).”
In 2013 I won my personal gold medal, as I decided to become a mother and I was blessed with the Gemini, Ana Clara and Matheus. Being a mother in the middle of an Olympic cycle was part of one of the main achievements, where we proved, in practice, that women have all the necessary credentials to occupy these positions. Now, all the women who are arriving and will arrive will already have the certainty that it is possible to be a mother and be successful as a coach.
Support to the next team
I am proud to be one of the most highly graded women in the country, holding the grade of 7th dan and also that I have played such an active part in winning so many world and Olympic medals.
Brazilian female judo will now continue to be very well represented. I wish success to my friend Andrea Berti, who pioneered and paved this road with me and to our remarkable little Sarah Menezes as she takes over as the women’s coach. We started our walk together when she was just 15 years old. It’s all about love, surrender and purpose!”