Juliana Viana Vieira had an Olympics she will never forget – at Paris 2024 the 20-year-old became the first Brazilian to win a badminton match in Games history.
“I was proud of myself for the path I took to achieve one of my greatest dreams, the Olympics,” shared Vieira. “What I liked most was being alongside great athletes and making history for Brazil. I felt very good and happy to have done this for my country.”
The support she had from the Brazilian Olympic Committee, Badminton Pan Am and Brazilian Badminton Confederation (CBBD) pushed her to achieve her dream.
“CBBD also supported me in all the tournaments and that helped me qualify. I’m grateful for the training in France before the Games, that was very helpful,” said Vieira.
Dreams often require sacrifices, and that was something Vieira understood from a young age, when she first picked up a racket and set long-term goals for herself.
“Since I was six years old, when I started playing badminton, I understood I had to leave my family to travel to different tournaments,” she said. “I had to work hard to achieve my dreams. Being away from family hurts, but it’s something I had to do. All athletes go through things like these, we don’t have much free time to spend with family and friends.”
In the life of an athlete, coaches and teammates become family. People with whom they share their day, learn from, and are motivated to be better.
“My preparation for Paris was very hard, as it is for all events,” said the 2021 South American Games gold medallist. “Of course, the mental demands were stronger for the Olympics and it’s normal for one to feel nervous.
“(But) my preparation was good and I enjoyed it. (My coach) Marco (Vasconcelos) helped me throughout. I trust his work a lot, and he trusts me as an athlete, so the work becomes easier. My teammates also helped me all through the training process to reach my best level.
“I thank Marco and my teammates for being by my side every day, training and sharing experiences, together in good and bad times.”
Vieira now has a special place in the Badminton Pan Am office – like all Olympians, her photo is part of the Olympic wall.
“I’m still the same, but with a slightly different mentality because I want to keep improving.”
Vasconcelos (right) remains a great pillar of support.
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