Sports
Renato Ribeiro Looks Back on Open Water Milestones
Coach shares behind-the-scenes stories of the English Channel, Triple Crown, Gibraltar, and iconic trophy designs.
During an appearance on the Natação Stemma podcast, coach Renato Ribeiro shared memorable stories from his open water career. Highlights include a 21-day wait at the Strait of Gibraltar and major milestones in the English Channel.
Looking back at historic photos from a career dedicated to marathon swimming means reliving moments where patience, perseverance, and technical strategy dictated success. On the Natação Stemma podcast, coach Renato Ribeiro, founder of Equipe Navegantes, shared the behind-the-scenes stories of his athletes' most iconic achievements around the world.
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The Triple Crown and the Capri-Naples Crossing
Among the top milestones is achieving the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming (Manhattan, the English Channel, and Catalina). Renato became the first coach to complete the circuit with the same athlete, an accomplishment featured in Swim Channel magazine. His gallery of memories also includes a handcrafted trophy created by Léo Natal and official medals from all three stages.
Another prestigious event in the coach's career is the traditional Italian Capri-Naples crossing. Renato celebrated completing the challenge alongside Pri Magalo and recalled an earlier victory with Patrícia—his first win in the race and current business partner at Navegantes—while also looking back on the presence of Samir Barel and Vitinho Gadelha along the Italian shores.
Extreme Challenges: A 21-Day Wait in Gibraltar and Freshwater in Manaus
The ocean sets its own pace, and the crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar with swimmer Aderval was clear proof of that. To secure a safe weather window, the team had to postpone their return flights to Brazil twice, enduring a 21-day wait before successfully entering the water on their second-to-last available day.
Beyond ocean crossings, the freshwater ultramarathon on the Rio Negro in Manaus stands out among Renato's fondest memories. He highlighted his admiration for race organizer Pierre and the unique beauty of the Amazonian event.
Trophies, Training, and English Channel Records
The creation and growth of national challenges were also key topics in the discussion. Renato helped design the trophy for the Leme to Pontal Swimming Association (LPSA) crossing, featuring a raised-arm sculpture inspired by Aderval's celebration upon finishing the English Channel. The episode also highlighted the 14 Bis Triple Crown, a pioneering project started by Percival and continued by Wanderley Santos.
Finally, Renato and Samir Barel recalled a memorable 2016 night training session with the Navegantes team—distinguished by the strong smell of diesel oil from the support trawler—and celebrated historic times in the English Channel, including Aderval's South American men's record and Marcela's overall record set a decade later.
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