Despite a successful career that included two runner-up finishes on the WSL Championship Tour, Silvana Lima says there was a point when she was left with almost nothing to show for it financially. She explains that bad business deals, people taking advantage of her, and a separation from her partner wiped out much of what she had earned through surfing. Then the Olympics came along, and the money started flowing again.
Lima recently joined the Brazilian podcast Fala Papah — a show that has been drawing major names in surf like Filipe Toledo and Jesse Mendes — to talk about her career. Topics ranged from financial struggles, to navigating professional surfing as a lesbian woman, to how a lack of aerial progression is holding back Brazilian women’s surfing.
We broke down some of the most interesting moments from her conversation with host Ader Oliveira.
Money Struggles
Oliveira asked Lima, “Looking back on your life, do you feel that you were able to build financial stability with what you achieved?”
Lima said yes, but with some caveats.
She explained that bad deals with managers, a separation from her partner, and family members asking for a share of her earnings eventually left her with almost nothing. Still, she said she refused to let it get her down.
“If someone treats me badly, I’m not the kind of person who does harm in return,” said Lima. “If this person took my money, took something from me, they probably needed it more than I did at that moment. God will give it back to me double. And that’s what happened.”
When Lima qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, her financial fortunes shifted.
“I basically had to start over from zero again, with nothing, but believing that I still had what I most wanted, which was to compete,” said Lima. “My knee was fine after surgery, everything was in order, and I went after my spot at the Olympics. That’s when everything changed. New sponsors, new contracts.”
“That was when I was able to earn good money and build my house — the house I have today, the house of my dreams, on the beach where I grew up by the ocean,” Lima added. “I was able to give my mother a house and help and support my whole family. I gave my father a house, too. So I’m very happy and very grateful that I kept going and didn’t give up, even with the bad things that show up along the way, the dishonesty. We leave the trickery to those who think they’re smarter, and we keep living with self-love and moving forward, because faith is greater than anyone.”
Sponsor Rejections
Lima has long been outspoken about not fitting the traditional mold of a female professional surfer – one expected to double as a model and an athlete in order to succeed.
In her conversation with Oliveira, she spoke about how difficult it was to come out as gay and the obstacles created when trying to secure sponsorships.
“Throughout your youth, your career, how was it dealing with your sexual orientation?” Oliveira asked.
“At the beginning it was extremely, extremely difficult,” Lima responded. “I heard ‘no’ many times from brands. I saw reports from big companies saying they would not sponsor any athlete who was attracted to the same sex – companies within surfing itself.”
“That made me sad,” she continued. “But I never denied who I was. I always showed myself as I am, how I like to dress, but always with respect for people who don’t like it.”
Lack of Aerial Progression in Brazilian Women’s Surfing
Lima was known for pushing aerial surfing during an era when few of her peers were doing so. During the interview, she reminisced on airs that earned her a perfect 10 and nine-point scores.
Oliveira asked Lima how she sees the development of women’s surfing in Brazil, particularly when it comes to aerial maneuvers. Lima didn’t sugarcoat her response.
“I think that in Brazil we’re still a little behind when it comes to these more radical maneuvers,” she said of Brazilian women. “Airs are something that still need to change a lot. There are very few women who do them.”
“I’m a huge fan of Laura (Raupp), but Laura doesn’t do airs,” she added. “Sofia (Medina) does, but she does them in wave pools. Tati (Weston-Webb) is on the world tour, but she doesn’t do airs either. There are many women in Brazil who still don’t do airs, especially in competition. That’s something we’re lacking. When we look at the foreign surfers, they’re already much further ahead. I think the positive turning point for these girls will be when aerial maneuvers are truly valued in Brazil, because up to now they haven’t been very valued here.”
