From Brazil to Canada, Davidson de Souza chases bobsled dream in Calgary

Davidson de Souza grew up astir arsenic acold distant from a bobsled way arsenic possible.

He was raised successful a favela extracurricular of Sao Paulo, Brazil, but the archetypal clip helium slid down the crystal astatine Calgary’s WinSport facility, de Souza knew helium was home.

“It was axenic adrenalin. It was everything I love,” helium said. “I came down, got retired of the sled ace dizzy successful Calgary.

That was much than a decennary agone erstwhile de Souza was grooming with Brazil’s bobsled team. Now he’s a brakeman for the Canadian squad striving for the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics.

De Souza’s way has had much twists and turns than the frozen tracks helium slides down.

He grew up successful an impoverished neighbourhood with his parent and brother, and started moving astatine 8 years old. Out connected the cramped streets, he’d connection to instrumentality attraction of strangers’ parked cars, hoping they’d springiness him immoderate coins successful exchange.

“I was a bully kid. My ma liked the kid I was. But I was a small thoroughfare kid, too,” de Souza said.

At 12, helium joined a section way programme due to the fact that it offered escaped nutrient aft practice. He transformed into an accomplished discus and javelin athlete, and erstwhile helium was astir 20, de Souza was approached astir trying bobsled.

When the Brazilian squad travelled to Calgary to train, de Souza’s beingness changed.

“I loved it. I got successful emotion with the athletics close away,” helium said. “And erstwhile I came to Canada, I got successful emotion with the country, however radical are here, however Canada is beautiful, the security, the safeness. Everything conscionable got me.

De Souza made the Brazilian four-man bobsled squad that competed successful the 2014 Olympics. Even successful Sochi, helium watched and admired the Canadian sliders, including Jesse Lumsden and Lascelles Brown.

“I tin inactive adjacent my eyes and spot those guys doing bobsled,” de Souza said. “It was similar ‘I privation to beryllium similar them!'”

After the Sochi Games, de Souza returned to Brazil, sold his fewer valuables – including a motorcycle and a cellphone – and bought a one-way summons to Canada.

He acceptable up successful Calgary, alone, speaking precise small English and facing monolithic civilization shock. He started moving connected his imagination of competing for Canada, but stepped distant from the athletics a fewer years aboriginal aft becoming a father.

“I conscionable privation to marque definite my kids person maine astir arsenic overmuch arsenic possible,” De Souza said.

The tug of competing continued to nag astatine de Souza and helium returned to bobsled successful 2021 erstwhile his 2 sons were aged capable to person immoderate knowing of their dad’s job.

“I wanted to bash this and travel backmost and amusement it’s imaginable to travel retired of determination and beryllium large astatine what you bash with dedication and perseverance,” de Souza said.

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De Souza was portion of the four-man unit who raced to bronze astatine a 2022 World Cup lawsuit successful Whistler. In 2023, helium helped Canada instrumentality some golden and bronze astatine North American Cup stops.

The Canadian squad spent overmuch of November successful Whistler training, and volition person sleds competing erstwhile the North American Cup gets underway astatine the Whistler Sliding Centre this week.

While different Olympics looms, Canada’s bobsled unit remains focused connected what this play volition hold, de Souza said.

He has precocious hopes for a podium decorativeness astatine the satellite championships successful Lake Placid, N.Y., successful March.

“We person a truly bully propulsion this year,” de Souza said.

When the Canadian nationalist anthem is played, de Souza whitethorn an other crushed to sing on – aft much than a decennary successful the country, he’ll soon go a Canadian citizen.

Competing for his adopted state astatine bobsled’s highest levels has agelong been the dream. Canada is the state de Souza fell successful emotion with and the 1 wherever his sons — present six and 9 years aged — were born.

“It’s large for me,” helium said. “It’s precise important, meaningful.”