The Ricardo Prado Project: Youth Swimming at Ibirapuera

In the early 1990s, shortly after taking up a role at the São Paulo State Sports Secretariat, Olympic medalist Ricardo Prado decided to pursue a personal ambition: building a grassroots development team and coaching directly on deck. The initiative took shape at the Ibirapuera Sports Complex and launched in 1991 as Projeto Ricardo Prado, later partnering with Projeto Futuro, which already ran track and judo programs.

The initial plan to recruit experienced swimmers ran up against the reality of competitive sports in São Paulo at the time, where registered athletes were tied to traditional clubs. The project had to scout kids straight out of swim schools who had only mastered the fundamentals of the four competitive strokes. The mission became fundamentally developmental: welcoming children who lacked opportunities at major clubs and turning them into competitive athletes.

Training routines and lodging beneath the grandstand

Prado coached pool-side twice a day, leading morning and afternoon sessions. The coaching structure was split by age group: coach Denise took charge of the younger age brackets, while Ricardo oversaw the junior and youth divisions. Over the years, the Ibirapuera complex came to house around 15 athletes aged 14 and 15 in dormitories built underneath the stadium grandstand.

Over more than a decade of operations, the project delivered strong results across the state and national scenes, qualifying dozens of young swimmers for São Paulo State Championships and developing national age-group champions.