Gabriel Ganme: From Extreme Diving to Ultramarathons
Sports medicine physician reflects on his career transition, overcoming injuries, and racing mountain ultras at 66.
On XTREMMA Sports with Shubi Guimarães, sports physician Gabriel Ganme shares how he left pediatrics and cave diving behind to pursue mountain ultramarathons.
In this episode of XTREMMA Sports, host Shubi Guimarães welcomes sports medicine physician and ultramarathoner Gabriel Ganme. In a candid and story-filled conversation, Ganme looks back on his life journey: an active childhood encouraged by his father, years in extreme cave diving, joint replacement surgeries, and his late-blooming passion for mountain running, serving as an inspiration for athletic longevity.
Childhood and Early Encounters with Sports and Medicine
Born into a family with deep medical roots, Gabriel grew up watching his father and uncles practice healthcare. To keep his children active, his father enrolled him at Clube Monte Líbano, where he joined the Sports Integration Plan (PI). This multisport background—ranging from tennis to surfing and futsal—built the motor foundation that would stay with him for life, reinforcing his belief that variety and enjoyment in childhood are vital to developing healthy adults.
From Pediatrics to Extreme Diving Adventures
Although he completed a pediatrics residency at a public hospital, Ganme became disillusioned with the sector's structural shortcomings and chose not to practice. Driven by a passion for the ocean, he became a scuba instructor and began exploring submerged cave systems in North Florida. This high-risk discipline and the demand of hauling gear weighing up to 70 kg on land took a physical and emotional toll. After recovering the body of a former student and surviving close calls, he closed the cave chapter, temporarily shifting to guiding shark-diving expeditions around the world.
Hyperbaric Medicine, Osteoarthritis, and Sports Medicine
Seeking to merge his passions, he specialized in hyperbaric medicine and began teaching dive medicine at Escola Paulista de Medicina (Unifesp). When diagnosed with early-onset hip osteoarthritis and told by a specialist that he would need crutches and should abandon sports, he sought a second opinion, underwent hip replacement surgery, and returned to training. That experience shaped his approach to sports medicine: keeping patients active and pursuing functional adaptations rather than handing down definitive physical limitations.
Childhood Sedentary Behavior and the Impact of Inactivity
In conversation with Shubi, who is also an educator, Gabriel addresses the dangers of modern lifestyles for children. Excessive screen time, disconnection from nature, and a lack of structured physical education have led to motor coordination deficits, loss of functional strength, and an increased risk of early metabolic syndrome. Both advocate for reviving outdoor play and diverse athletic experiences during early development.
Transition to Trail Running and Overcoming Challenges at El Cruce
His entry into mountain running came around 2018, sparked by a master's research project on hypoxia and altitude. Invited by athlete Rafael Campos, Ganme entered the Origen race in Chile and fell in love with the trail running community. At age 62, with bilateral hip replacements, he tackled the legendary 2022 El Cruce just three months after emergency surgery for a herniated disc and lumbar stenosis, alongside the recent loss of his father. Despite blizzards and muscle spasms, he finished the three-day stage race.
High Mileage, Cutting Alcohol, and Athletic Longevity
Now 66, Gabriel set a personal goal to log hundreds of kilometers in mountain races throughout the season. To sustain high training volume without major injuries, he completely eliminated alcohol, prioritized sleep quality, and tightened nutritional discipline. Finally, the physician and host stress the importance of preventive cardiac monitoring in endurance sports, cautioning against arrhythmias and highlighting routine screenings as essential for lifelong performance.