Gabi and the decision to leave Brazil: Stepping out of her comfort zone to become VakifBank captain

On a quiet afternoon at Brazil's training centre, beside the serene blue pool, two volleyball legends, Bruno Rezende and Gabriela Guimarães, talked about a subject that may sound ordinary but marks a turning point for any athlete: the moment of leaving home. Gabi, captain of Brazil's national team, did not talk about glory. She recalled the time she asked herself whether she was good enough to compete in the world's best leagues. "I had experienced some injuries and had questions if I had what it took to play in the world's best leagues," Gabi told Bruno. "I started thinking about it after the Rio 2026 Olympics, when I was still earning my space with the national team, and I understood that I needed to be mentally ready not only as a player, but as a person." According to Gabi, the decision to leave Brazil did not come from a sudden impulse. She needed years to realize that she had to sacrifice comfort to take a bigger step forward. Every starting line is an unknown Sunday afternoon. For Gabi, that starting point was called Istanbul. In 2026, she signed with VakifBank – one of the strongest volleyball clubs on the planet. From the very first practice, Gabi felt the difference. "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," she recalled. The professional shock was only part of the story. What surprised Gabi even more was the trust from 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 admitted. For a girl who once questioned her own ability, receiving such a significant leadership role in a demanding environment was both a challenge and a gift. The Brazilian national team is a dream Gabi still carries. "To play for the national team is really a childhood dream," she said. She remembered 2026, when she was first called up to Brazil's youth national team and arrived in Saquarema alongside the golden 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." The Beijing Olympic generation did more than bring medals to Brazil. They passed on an invisible belief to girls like Gabi. Leaving Brazil to play abroad was not a rejection of home. It was a continuation of the dreams that the previous generation had lit. Gabi's story with VakifBank is not about a fairytale. It is about learning to take responsibility, to stand up after losses, and to look at the mirror Guidetti placed in front of her. What matters is not the fact that Gabi left Brazil, but that she left after understanding what she needed. Not everyone has that kind of mental preparation. Not everyone has a mentor who places trust in them before they have enough courage to trust themselves. Now, sitting by the pool with Bruno, Gabi can retell those early trembling days with a smile. She is no longer the girl who feared being given the captain's armband. That same armband taught her one big lesson: sometimes being trusted is a form of strength. Gabi's story did not begin with a record contract, but with a quiet afternoon in a youth training camp where few people knew her name. She learned to listen to her own breath before the world knew the beat of her heart. What remains after the finish line matters more than what happened before it. Gabi has moved her own finish line, and in doing so, she has become the leader she never dared to imagine.