Poliana Okimoto: From the Pool to the Olympic Open Water Podium
The former athlete recounts her victorious journey, the challenges overcome, and her transition to a new cycle of inspiration and entrepreneurship.
Pioneering athlete Poliana Okimoto shares her high-performance sports journey, from her first strokes to her unprecedented Olympic medal. In a conversation with Samir Barel and Wanderley Santos, she discusses the discipline, frustrations, and passion that keep her connected to swimming.
Welcomed by Samir Barel and Wanderley Santos on Natação Stemma, Poliana Okimoto, an icon of Brazilian open water swimming, revisited her remarkable career. At 40, with a resume that includes being the first Brazilian open water world champion (10 km in 2013) and a bronze medalist at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games — becoming the first Brazilian female swimmer to reach an Olympic podium in the discipline — Poliana reflects on the legacy and passion that still drive her today. Voted the world's best open water swimmer in 2009 and 2013 and an inductee into the sport's Hall of Fame, Poliana emphasizes the importance of continuing to develop the sport through her consulting firm, Okimoto Cintra Assessoria, and the Poliana Okimoto Open Water Event.
"When you're in it, you don't think you're all that. I always felt I had to improve, that I had to do more," Poliana reveals about her perception of her high-performance achievements. Today, with maturity, she allows herself to look back and recognize the grandeur of her career, something she finds more challenging in her post-competition daily life. "It's very easy to be bad at everything," she jokes, recalling a triathlon training session where she felt subpar in all disciplines, including swimming, doing a 1:45/100m pace, "almost humiliating" for someone who has been an Olympic medalist. However, she points out that technique can remain, but strength, power, and endurance decrease when high-level training is stopped.
Strict Training and Essential Humility
Poliana began her swimming journey at age seven at the Munhoz academy, under the tutelage of Ismar Barbosa, a coach with a rigid methodology. The discipline and commitment taught by Ismar were fundamental to her character development. She recalls a striking anecdote: at 13, after securing a third-place finish at the José Finkel Trophy — her first absolute Brazilian championship — Ismar took the medal from her chest and said, "Keep this medal, but forget you won it." The message was clear: humility and the relentless pursuit of more. This lesson shaped her perception of being approachable and never feeling superior to anyone, a value she carries to this day and one that makes her so admired by fans and athletes.
Overcoming Stagnation and the Fear of Open Water
After a successful junior career, Poliana faced a four-year period without time improvements, a phase of deep demotivation. "What kept me going was my love for the sport," she states. A change of coach, adaptation of her technique (previously with straight arms, causing shoulder pain), and the search for new methodologies were crucial. The major turning point came with her move to Santos and meeting Ricardo Cintra, her future husband and coach.
Cintra identified open water swimming as a golden opportunity for Poliana. Inspired by Monique Ferreira's victory at the Travessia dos Fortes, he convinced her to try, despite Poliana's initial fear of swimming in the sea. "I was sure there would be a shark and that it was my destiny to be eaten by one," she recalls. Her first training sessions in the sea were marked by tears and terror, but the desire to achieve her Olympic dream was stronger.
Rise on the International Stage and the London Lesson
The Travessia dos Fortes in 2004 was a watershed moment. Poliana won the 3.8 km race and broke the record, a month before open water swimming was announced as an Olympic discipline. In 2006, at the World Championships in Naples, she won two silver medals, an unprecedented achievement for Brazilian swimming. The visibility and successes opened doors for marathon swimming at CBDA, which was previously considered the "ugly duckling" of the sport.
Despite her success, her participation in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, where she finished seventh, revealed her lack of experience and strategic maturity. "I was very raw in the discipline, I didn't like physical contact, and I didn't have the maturity to play the game during the race," she explains. However, 2009 was a year of glory, with nine victories in 11 World Cup stages, and the title of best athlete of the year by FINA (now World Aquatics).
The greatest lesson, however, would come in London 2012. "The greatest life lesson and the worst moment of my life came together," Poliana says. Ranked as a favorite, she suffered hypothermia in a cold-water race, being pulled from the water at the 7km mark and waking up in a hospital, with a memory lapse. "We learn much more from defeats," she states, emphasizing that the loss made her understand her mistakes, not just in physical preparation, but also personally and familiarly. Family support and the realization that the cause of defeat was an external factor (water temperature) were crucial for her recovery from post-Olympic depression.
Triumph at Rio 2016
With a "reconnection" with herself in the water, Poliana decided to give it another try. In 2013, at the World Championships, one day before the 5 km race, she suffered from food poisoning. Despite dehydration and medical advice not to compete, she insisted and won silver. This achievement rekindled her confidence, and in the 10 km race, she went for gold, becoming Brazil's first open water world champion.
The cycle leading up to Rio 2016 was the best of her life, even at 33. "I trained to be an Olympic champion, not just to win a medal," she declares. On race day, in Copacabana, Poliana felt it was her turn. The race was a mix of emotions: she crossed the finish line in fourth place, but a protest against an opponent resulted in a reclassification and the bronze medal. Poliana's strategy, focused on her main adversary, Sharon van Rouwendaal, and her ability to make quick decisions, were decisive. The moment she saw her name in third place on the scoreboard, the emotion of the Brazilians, and the reunion with Cintra and her parents, solidified the "realized dream" of an Olympic medal at home.
A Legacy of Inspiration and Post-Athlete Life
The decision to stop competing professionally in 2017 was a gradual process. Poliana realized that her "why" — the Olympic medal — had already been achieved. "I didn't want to resent swimming," she explains, citing the example of many swimmers who completely abandon the sport. She wanted to maintain her passion, swimming for sport, love, and health. Her farewell took place at the Rei e Rainha do Mar, in an emotional relay with Ana Marcela Cunha and Allan do Carmo.
When asked how she would like to be remembered, Poliana Okimoto states that her Olympic medal is her greatest contribution to the world, besides her son. "Through it, so many other projects are being executed, so many people have been inspired, so many people have changed their lives because they saw me, were inspired by me, and pursued their own goals," she says emotionally. She mentions a consulting professor who started his business after her medal, creating a "chain" of impact. This connection with people and the ability to inspire are the champion's true legacy. Amidst the reflections, Poliana also answered a "Record Breakers" quick-fire round, revealing a preference for open water, 30-degree water, training in the afternoon and alone, and Ricardo Cintra as the coach who left a mark on her. Her strong point as a swimmer is resilience, and her weak point, a lack of raw strength, compensated by an incredible transfer of power in her technique.
Currently, Poliana remains engaged in sports through her consulting firm and the Poliana Okimoto Crossing, which will have a special edition on December 6th in Bora Bora, celebrating the 10th anniversary of her Olympic medal.