Day two brought out the blue and purple belts. Coming back and competing in her first tournament after five years of being off the mats enjoying “mommy-hood” was Andre Galvão’s wife, Angelica Galvão. Showing off her “abs of steel” this lightweight fought in four matches, winning them all to take gold in her division.
Angelica and André Galvão / Photo: Deb Blyth
In her final against Cathilee Albert-Zingano, Galvão closed out the match with an inverted triangle with a wrist lock in less than a minute. This was Galvão’s first time winning the Worlds and she was really excited. “I just started back training last November,” she says, “My eight-time world champion husband and coach, André Galvão helped me get here.” Galvão also credits Leticia Ribeiro and her camp for getting her prepared and conditioned for the tournament. “In my first match, I had a lot of adrenaline, but after that, I did really well and found my flow.”
Galvão was out of action for five years following the birth of her daughter and at one time, thought she would never be able to come back, train, and compete. She was helping André out at their academy in San Diego and he asked her to start training again, so she did. After just seven months of intense focus, she signed up for the Worlds and was able to clinch the gold, earning her world champion status. “Angelica’s supported me so much,” André says, “And I’ve helped her a lot in her Jiu-Jitsu. Leticia’s been a great friend to us and also helped her in her training. This is a dream come true for all of us.”