Nana Almeida
swimmer
Nana is a world class swimmer who has enjoyed success in Brazil and internationally. This has included the Olympics and continental competitions as well as national competitions.
- Olympian in 2021
- Gold in the 2018 Military World Championships
- Placings of 12th and 14th at the 2021 FINA World Swimming Championships, and part the relay team taking 7th
- Silver and Bronze at the South America games
She grew up in a sport-oriented family with her father coaching soccer and her brothers enjoying sport.
In 2013 aged 17, Nana (full name Nathalia) competed in the Junior Swimming World Championship and took fifth in the 4x100m and 4 x 200 m Butterfly. She competed in the 2014 South American Championships and her 4 x 200m Freestyle team took Gold.
In 2016 she participated in the pre-Olympic championships. She narrowly missed out on the team in the 200 m medley. Nana went on to take Gold in the 2018 Military World Championships. She also competed in the South American Championships and took third in 200 m Butterfly.
In 2020 she did make the Brazilian Olympic team and competed in the delayed games as part of the 4 x 200 m freestyle relay team.
At the 2021 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) in Abu Dhabi, she was part of the Women’s 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay who finished 7th. She was 12th in the individual 400 metre freestyle and 14th in the 400 metre individual medley.
At the 2022 South American Games held in Asunción, Paraguay, Nana took silver in the 200 metre individual medley and a bronze in the Women’s 400 metre individual medley. In the following year she won gold over 200 metres and 400 metres at the Brazilian Nationals (more here).
Finding vegan
She turned vegan in November 2019.
“I was training in Hungary, and the swim coach in Hungary was vegan” she says. “He told me that a vegan diet would help me to improve my performance. I also realized adopting a vegan diet would be better for our world. I started feeling stronger in the water after turning vegan”.
Nana says that the whole team was vegan in Hungary. She also discovered a lot of food options.
“My parents and brothers and coach in Brazil are not vegan” she says. “They have been surprised about all the good vegan options.”
She likes baking brownies and making birthday cakes.
By late 2021 she had 17 national titles and is continuing to compete and train to improve her swimming every day.