Aída dos Santos was the only woman to represent Brazil at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964.
Against all odds, without a coach like the other competitors and without being given at least one uniform by the Olympic committee, she took home 4th place.
Social context
Aída was born into a poor family and worked as a cleaner since childhood. She studied at a school from Monday to Saturday in the morning and worked in the afternoon. On Sundays she used to invite some friends to go play volleyball at the Caio Martins stadium.
One of her colleagues did athletics and as they went cycling together, she always invited her to train, until one day she accepted.
First years
In her first jump she reached the mark of 1.40m. The coach then signed her up for a competition that would take place at Clube do Fluminense.
Aída's father does not authorize her to participate. Her friend then convinces her father to at least let her go and watch.
Aída returns home with a medal after reaching 1.50m, breaking the state record. Her father asks her if she had money, she says no and is beaten saying that “a medal doesn't fill anyone's belly and that she needed to help support the family”.
Qualifiers
Aída studied, worked and often trained at night, in the dark, as the place had no lighting.
In a qualifier to be able to participate in the Olympics, she reached the mark of 1.65m, beating another Brazilian who had already reached 1.71m, but that day she did not reach 1.65m.
There was only a month left before the Games and Aída would be without a uniform, as according to the directors there would be no time to provide it.
Olympic Games
She travels to Tokyo without the support of a coach and faces contempt from the other athletes in the delegation who call her a “tourist”.
At the Olympic park, she remembers seeing some athletes with 2 or 3 coaches and crying, because they didn't even have the equipment to compete.
She went to 2 stands in search of her competition material, but her name had not been entered by the Brazilian Olympic committee. At the 2nd stand, a man took pity and released a sprinter shoe, which wasn't ideal, but it was useful for her to compete.
A Brazilian finalist
At the Olympics, Aída managed to qualify for the final, achieving an unprecedented mark for her of 1.70m.
Thus, she became the first Brazilian woman to reach an Olympic final.
However, during the qualifying phase she twisted her ankle during the jump. Disdained by Brazilian officials, she received help from Peruvian coach Roberto Abugatas regarding improvements for the final, in addition to being attended to by the Cuban delegation's doctor, at the request of athlete Miquelina Cobian.
In the final, she reaches the mark of 1.74m and comes in 4th place.
Back home
On her way home, she is welcomed at the airport with a bunch of flowers and a fire department truck, but she refuses to parade saying: “you should have given me this support before.”
Aída also participated in the Mexican Olympics in 1968, breaking the South American pentathlon record despite having a strained knee.
Social action
Aída currently maintains an institute to promote social inclusion through athletics and volleyball together with her daughter, Valeska Menezes , the Valeskinha of Brazilian volleyball.
Her history in sport breaks barriers of gender, race and class. It's a story of persistence.
With it we close the theme of the month, Olympic Pioneers.