A star of Brazilian rugby sevens had her career put on pause with a serious knee injury followed by cancer. Now Raquel is back for her third Olympic Games.
She heard her number 10 being called, tapped hands with a teammate who was leaving the field, and ran into position for Brazil, a smile on her face.
"He always supported me, but he was apprehensive and careful," the 31-year-old Brazilian tells The Associated Press.Upper-body collisions are frequent when players carry the ball or tackle, making doctors nervous. "Our fate is unpredictable. An ACL injury in May 2022 turned out to be a lengthy breast cancer treatment. A lot of learning and personal growth."We put the spotlight on women making a big impact on and off the field in the sporting world — from the grassroots through to the elite level.A dedicated soccer player as a young athlete with ambitions of wearing the famous Brazil jersey, Kochhann first tried rugby at the age of 19. She was instantly converted.
"Cancer wasn't a shock, given my family's medical history and genetics — and it could have happened at any moment in my life," Kochhann said in a matter-of-fact interview for the World Sevens series. The easiest person to convince she could return to rugby was Brazil coach Will Broderick "who, like me, was eager to be able to train me and see me back on the field," Kochhann says.
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