Camila Brait’s resilience to become an Olympic medalist

After emerging as Fabi Alvim’s successor to assume the position of libero of the Brazilian volleyball team, Camila Brait underwent two Olympic cuts and announced her early retirement. But she turned around, became an Olympic medalist and the best libero in the Women’s Superliga, showing what a woman’s place in sport.

First steps

Camila de Paula Brait, from Minas Gerais, was born on October 28, 1988, in Frutal. She started her volleyball career in Sacramento, at União Recreativa Sacramentana, where she remained until 2004. In the following two years, she had brief spells at Sesi Uberlândia and Praia Clube. Hired by São Caetano for the 2007/2008 season, the athlete was elected the best passer in the Women’s Superliga. The following season, she joined the Osasco team, her home for over ten years.

In 2012, Camila became world club champion with Osasco, in Doha, Qatar. Her biggest titles were with the São Paulo team: twice champion of the Women’s Superliga (2009/10 and 2011/12), four-time South American champion (2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012), in addition to individual awards as best passer, best defender and best libero

The position in which Camila plays, libero, was introduced by the International Volleyball Federation in 1998. The role of a libero is to act in defense and reception, attacking and serving is prohibited. His positioning is at the back of the court and, until 2021, he could not lead the team. With the rule change, Camila became the captain of Osasco. Another characteristic of a libero is short stature. The other players on the team are over 1.70 m tall, while Brait is only 1.68 m tall.

Brazilian national team and Olympic cycles

Camila defended the Brazilian National Team in the basic categories and, in 2007, was part of the champion team of the Youth World Cup. In 2009, she was part of the adult national team and, in the same year, she won the Grand Prix title in Tokyo. In 2010, the libero was part of the runner-up team of the World Championship, also in Japan. She accumulates 6 medals in Grand Prix editions and two medals in Worlds.

Brait participated in two Olympic cycles, in 2012 and 2016, however, in both, she was cut from the official call. As the Olympics limit the number of athletes, many teams select only one libero. In 2012, who represented Brazil was the two-time Olympic champion Fabi Alvim, and in 2016, Léia Nicolosi. After the last cut, Camila announced her retirement from the Brazilian national team. In 2017, she walked away from the courts to become Alice’s mother.

However, in 2019, the athlete was called up to the national team. She did not want to participate in the League of Nations, but joined the team to compete in the World Cup and the South American Championship in the same year. In 2021, she was runner-up in the League of Nations and the Tokyo Olympics. She again announced the retirement of the Selection along with Fernanda Garay. In the 2021/2022 season, she took a break from her career to dedicate herself to a second pregnancy.

Camila Brait’s role in Brazilian and world volleyball

Brazil is known as a school for liberos. No other country has had so many successful players in that position, both in men’s and women’s volleyball. Serginho and Fabi Alvim are part of the group of two-time Olympic champion athletes. Camila Brait needed a lot of grit and determination to learn from her idol, Fabi, and take her place on a winning team.

In 2012, Camila was cut from the national team precisely because Fabi was chosen. In 2016, the moment was different and Leia took over the title. The feeling of helplessness haunted Brait during two Olympic cycles, so much so that, for a while, she gave up on her dream of representing the country in the biggest sporting competition in the world. However, Alice’s arrival in her life marks a turning point, the libero regains confidence. Thus, in addition to being a medalist, she becomes a symbol of resilience for many players.

Alongside Carol Gattaz, a central position, who also suffered from Olympic cuts, Camila fulfills her dream of representing the country. The sportswomen won the love of the public and proved that they are very good on the court. After the national team’s retirement, Camila remains at Osasco, proving to be a great leader, always raising the morale of her colleagues and coach Luizomar de Moura.

10 curiosities to know the volleyball girl

Camila may even be short around the other volleyball players, however, on the court, this woman is giant. Below, check out some curiosities about the Minas libero who has been winning over Osasco fans for over 10 years:

1. Hated being a libero

In interviews, Camila revealed that, at the beginning of her career, she hated being a libero. His will was to attack and not just defend. She even thought about giving up playing for a while, but her lack of height didn’t stop her from establishing herself as one of the best liberos of her generation.

2. Played pregnant

After the Superliga final against Rio de Janeiro in 2017, Camila revealed her pregnancy and, therefore, did not join Osasco in the Club World Cup final. The year before, when announcing her retirement from the Selection, she had already said that her biggest dream was to be a mother.

3. “I want my daughter to see me on the podium”

In an interview with the program Conversa com Bial, Brait told how it was to return to the national team after retiring in 2016. According to the libero, the insistence of coach José Roberto Guimarães was essential, however, the maturity that motherhood brought was the turning point. Also, she wanted to be an inspiration to her daughter.

4. Osasquense citizen

After the Tokyo Olympics, a vote in the Osasco City Council granted the honor of Osasquense citizen to Camila, a Frutal from Minas Gerais who has lived in Osasco since 2008. During the vote, councilors showered the player with praise, describing her as a example and the biggest sports star in town.

5. Palmeiras

In addition to volleyball, another passion of the libero is Palmeiras. His interest in the team was inherited from his great-grandfather, an Italian immigrant, who was passionate about Palestra Itália. Since then, Camila has always shown her support for the team on social media and goes to games when she can.

6. If I weren’t an athlete, I would be a veterinarian

In an interview with Canal Olímpico, Camila revealed that, if she were not an athlete, she would be a veterinarian. On social media, she and her daughter show their passion for dogs.

7. Camila is also a model

Camila’s talent is not only in volleyball. Off the court, she is also a model and managed by Ford Sports, an arm of the Ford Models Brasil agency, aimed at athletes and sports personalities.

8. Take a chance on the dances

In her free time, along with her teammates, Camila takes a chance on the dances and choreographies that go viral on the internet. During the Olympics, to escape confinement, she was always present in the videos of the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation.

9. Fabi’s biggest fan

Camila Brait never hides that her biggest sports idol is the libero Fabi Alvim. Owner of two Olympic medals (gold!), Fabi is a commentator for Globo channels and always praises the achievements of her successor.

10. Maternity and athlete life

Camila reconciles the responsibilities of being an athlete and a mother since 2017. Alice’s mother found in her daughter the strength and maturity that was missing. In an interview with GE, the coach of the Brazilian National Team, Zé Roberto, praised Camila’s performance after becoming a mother: “Camila Brait, today, is a player who is going through a very good period in terms of maturity, tranquility, a complete form. Especially after she became a mother, which came to Alice.”

While fans of the Brazilian team miss Brait, Osasco celebrates the presence of the captain, an essential part of the team since 2008. How about reading about her teammate, the first transgender athlete to compete in the Superliga, Tifanny Abreu?