Cotesa Engenharia resumed its national sport incentive plan by sponsoring José Roberto Vaz Guimarães Neto, 20, a professional swimmer since 2013, and a law student at Unisul (Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina). “I've been swimming all my life, but I started training seriously for competitions when I was eight years old. Currently, I swim for two hours in the morning period, and two hours in the afternoon, and I do another hour of preparation out of the water, totaling 5 hours of training per day at the Aquatic Complex UNISUL Pedra Branca”, explains José Roberto.

His taste for sport was influenced by his family's history. “My two great uncles were Olympic athletes, and my grandfather always encouraged my father and uncles to play sports, so they became good swimmers. My cousins and my sister  also practiced swimming. I grew up in this environment and learned early on the ethical values that sport teaches. My parents have always encouraged and supported me a lot, they gave me everything so that I could become an athlete, thanks to them I was able to make this choice”, says the swimmer.

The athlete has been Brazilian interfederative runner-up, Brazilian university medalist, South Brazilian champion, runner-up in the Santa Catarina open games, state champion several times, and best swimmer in the Junior II category in the state of Santa Catarina in 2015. Among the most important competitions in which he participated is the Olympic selective.

José Roberto's dream is to participate in the 2020 Olympics and stand on the podium. “In a country like Brazil, where the incentive to sport is practically non-existent, most athletes are unable to continue their career due to lack of resources and incentives. To be a complete athlete, the cost is quite high, and involves medical monitoring, supplements, and other professionals to complement the training. Therefore, the sponsorship of Cotesa is of great importance in my trajectory, that way, I can continue to pursue my dream”, celebrates José Roberto.