Racism Inspires Brazil’s Golden Girl To Greatness At Rio Olympics

Brazilian judoka Rafaela Silva won her first Olympic medal after being teased by racist remarks.

Rafaela Silva of Brazil reacts after winning her gold medal of the women’s 57 kg Jodo competition in Rio Olympics. (Photo: AP)

Brazil’s first gold medallist of the Rio Olympics basked in her newfound fame on Tuesday, with judoka Rafaela Silva taking aim at the racism that first threatened to defeat her and then became the affront that spurred her to greatness.

Silva, who grew up in the City of God Favela, the community made famous in the 2002 film, was disqualified in London for an illegal move and was described online as a monkey and taunted with other abuse. She considered giving up but friends – and the help of a psychologist – convinced her to keep going.

Brazil’s Rafaela Silva, blue, competes with Mongolia’s Sumiya Dorjsuren for the gold medal of the women’s 57-kg judo competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo: AP)

The 24-year-old proved them right and the doubters wrong on Monday evening when she delighted the home crowd by winning Brazil’s first gold of the games in the 57kg judo final.

I can serve as an example for the children of the community, because just being black means that people look at you in a different way. You walk down the street and people hold on to their bags. (The victory) shows the value that a child from a favela can have.

Rafaela Silva, Jodoka, Brazil

“I just remembered that sensation I had and the suffering of that defeat and I wanted to have a different feeling,” Silva added.

“Judo has its favourites but the one that wins on the mat is the one who wants it most and, in my house, no one wants it more than me.”

Silva was encouraged to take up judo as a way of channeling her natural aggression and she learnt her trade at the Instituto Reacao (Reaction Institute), an NGO set up by Flavio Canto, the Brazilian who won bronze in Athens in 2004.

Her win delighted a crowd that was patiently waiting for a local winner. Silva climbed into the stands to hug her family and coach who had travelled just a few minutes from her nearby favela home to the Olympic Park.

Brazil’s Rafaela Silva celebrates winning the gold medal with fans during the awards ceremony of the women’s 57-kg judo competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo: AP)

Silva, who was woken after four hours of sleep by friends desperate to see her medal, promised to keep going and defend her title in Tokyo in 2020

“I am still young and I want to feel like I did yesterday more times,” she said.

“I intend on carrying on competing and my sister will continue in the Instituto Reacao to give back what people gave to us.”