A few weeks ago we wrote an article where we referenced some of the top team transfers of the 2020 Summer. This week we received the news of another big grappling name to make that same decision in search of a more suited environment for her career. The name in question is Thamara Ferreira, a fierce competitor who entered the black belt division midway through 2019 after a stellar career in the lower ranks.
Since arriving at the pro-division of BJJ, Thamara’s career has been incredibly fruitful, with the young middleweight conquering 3 UAEJJF Grand Slam tournaments, the European title, and a bronze medal at the Queen Of Mats event in Abu Dhabi, earlier this year.
Thamara joined Cicero Costha’s academy as a blue belt, when she decided to follow a career in this sport and had been widely recognized as one of the leading female figures in the team, but more recently opted to change gears and head towards the Guigo Jiu-Jitsu team, a gym also located in the São Paulo region.
The sudden move was not particularly in Ferreira’s plans, as the competitor explained to BJJ Heroes earlier this week: “I came here [Guigo Academy] to help Yara [Soares] for a competition earlier, but I ended up loving the energy here. How everyone cares for one another, how Guigo is kind but is also on top of everyone on the mat, taxing his athletes. I saw him as a very complete leader. I was too used to being a machine, turned on and off. A wild body and mind without much guidance, I felt there was a more rational approach here, one that can benefit me”.
The chemistry with her new flag did not stop at coach Luiz Guigo: “I really identified with how close the team was. Men and women sharing the mats as equals. I am not someone that makes it her mission to go out and protest for female inclusion, but I am delighted when this happens naturally“, Thamara described.
Unlike many breakups that come out of turbulent disagreements, Thamara made it clear there were no hard feelings towards her team or the man that promoted her to black belt, Cicero Costha, saying that “he respected my decision. I thanked him and brought him the news personally, face to face. He just gave me an honest smile and said ‘give it your all-girl, I wish you all the success.’ I will never forget the years I spent there. He really developed a champions factory there. I became as hungry as I am there, my essence came from that place, regardless of any changes“.
Thamara became an official part of the team on August 10, 2020, and will be representing the talent dense team from now on, training alongside Yara Soares, Meyram Maquine, Eduardo Lopes, to name a few.
