Blog guest: Gustavo Borges, former swimmer and multiple Olympic medallist

Swimming helped me to understand who I was and who I wanted to be!

Brazilian former international swimmer and multiple Olympic medalist. Gustavo Borges is one of the greatest sprint swimmers of all time! Nowadays, Gustavo is a successful an entrepreneur, who with his knowledge, experience, everyday motivate and enrich swimming sport. He is dedicated to his swimming Methodology, which teaches children and adults how to swim in Brazil. Now, Gustavo Borges Methodology is present in more than 400 accredited establishments, in 23 Brazilian states! They are literally, a wave of swimming transformation!

As a Swimming Dad #Blog guest, Gustavo Borges explains: What should every child, parent, know about swimming? Why is swimming a connection factor between babies and parents? Find out which are his 5 top reasons why every child should swim?

Swimming "cures" the soul, body and heart of every family from an early age. Do you agree with that?

Yes! Absolutely! I think swimming has a strong power to make people more positive, to sleep better, to socialize more and, of course, to work on the body, soul and heart of every individual, including children. Swimming has also a connection factor between babies and parents, because, when they are learning to swim, they are usually together inside the pool. So babies understand they are in a cozy environment, but also protected, because they can see and feel parents´ presence.

What are your experiences when it comes to swimming from an early age and involving the whole family in swimming?

My kids swam at very young ages... I personally did not have that experience, since I started at age 5.

The involvement of parents at an early age learn to swim is very important. Socialization, moment with parents and feeling safety, as I said before. And this goes all the way to competitive swimming. Parents are essential to child’sdevelopment and also performance.

Today, how many children who enter the water, as well as parents, are ready for continuous swimming, in order to prevent the health of children in every sense?

Continuous swimming depends on the age. I don't have data on this.

Why do you like swimming?

It has been part of my life. I like the freedom it provides to clear my head. The emotions I had were unbelievable and the experiences and knowledge from sports is something that I really loved.

My life simply doesn´t exist without swimming. I mean, I may not swim today as I used to do when I was a pro, but it still a very important part of my life. If not only when I´m swimming myself, for fun, keeping in shape or the things I´ve said before, but also following my son and daughter or working on the methodology that I´ve created.

How did swimming help you when you were a child, how did help you when you win Olympic medals, and how does swimming help you today?

It was of great importance to make friends, to have fun and also to learn about competition and excellence. All this helped me with the Olympic medals and also today in my business.

When I was a kid, swimming helped me to understand who I was and who I wanted to be, since I soon realized that I´d like to do that for a living pretty early. From the very first competitions to high performance,

I´ve learned every day, a lot of lessons, winning and losing. My character itself was also molded within those moments.

When you "entered" the children's pool after the Olympic pool, what is it that you would pass on to every child, parent - what should they know about swimming?

I actually don´t teach kids. I am more on the business and strategic part of my program. But swimming should be about having fun, honoring the sport and working with excellence. That´s what I´ve tried to teach my son and my daughter when I had the chance to be inside of a pool with them, just like in those few moments when I do that with other kids, too.

Your 5 top reasons why every child should swim? (Beside health benefits of swimming)

1. Discipline

2. Socialization with other peers

3. Stimulate coordination

4. It is fun

5. Requires persistence

More about Gustavo Borges:

He made his international debut in swimming in Barcelona in 1992, winning the silver medal in the 100-meter freestyle, finishing second behind Russia’s Hall of Fame great, Alexander Popov. He later went on to participate in a total of four Olympic games, winning 4 Olympic medals. He won 12 medals in five FINA World Championships, and set the first FINA recognized 100-meter freestyle short course world record.

In 2012, Borges joined the International Swimming Hall of Fame, becoming the second Brazilian to be honored by the institution.

Gustavo was an active member of the FINA Athletes Commission for 12 years.

Today he sits on the Executive Board of Directors of IHRSA, an international association that focuses on Health Clubs all over the world, and is also a member of the Brazilian Athletes Committee.