Originally from Brazil, Gabriela grew up swimming for some of Rio de Janeiro’s most renowned clubs before continuing her career in the United States. She competed as a student-athlete at Iowa Lakes Community College and Southwest Minnesota State University, serving as team captain at both schools. Gabriela earned several honours, including the NSIC Swimming Elite 18 Award which recognises the essence of a student-athlete by recognising outstanding performance at the NSIC Championship and exceptional academic excellence. She was also named to the CSCAA Scholar All-America Team and received the NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award. Gabriela graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA in Exercise Science, with a focus on Coaching.
After her undergraduate studies, she completed two Master’s degrees—one in Physical Education in Brazil and another in Training and Optimisation of Sports Performance in France. Within her passion for helping young athletes excel, she is dedicated to guiding them to pursue their goals by combining athletic success with academic achievement, inspired by the unique opportunities she experienced studying and competing in the U.S.