Isabela de Mattos Silva is a 14-years old girl from São Paulo, Brazil, but don’t be fooled by her young age because she already has championship titles. She plays tennis and has been a Brazilian champion as well as the champion of South America. When it comes to tennis, Isabela is looking to conquer the world one day. Yet, she doesn’t forget the importance of education. She is also a Grade 9 student at EduWW. Meet Isabela through this interview, where she talks about goals and dreams and how an online school has helped her balance education and athletic life.
What do you like the most about your sport, and how did you start practicing it? What inspired you to start practicing that sport?
I like many things in the sport I practice, but the one I most like is that every week you can start it all over and have the chance to get better. I started playing when I was 4 years old, at the invitation of a friend that until nowadays, practices with me and is my best friend.
Do you compete? Can you name some of the most important competitions you have participated in or the results you achieved?
Yes, I compete. I have many trophies I’m proud of, but the ones I like the most are the ones I was the Brazilian champion and South American champion, and now I’m starting to play ITFS which are championships all over the world.
Can you take us behind the scenes and explain what a day in your life looks like – training, school, and do you have time for some hobbies?
A day in my life starts with my breakfast, then I go to the gym and do physiotherapy, which is very important to an athlete. I come back home and start studying, then I go to my morning practice and come back for lunch. I study a little bit more and go to the afternoon practice. If I’m too busy with school on that day, I study more, if not, I use this time to relax and do things I like. I eat dinner, take a shower and go to sleep.
Do you practice individually or play in a club/sports academy?
Since I was 4, I have practiced with the same coach, whose name is Pertti. He’s very important to me, and he helps me a lot to reach my goals. But last year I changed a little bit. I continued to practice with Pertti for 3 days a week, and the other 2 I went to Esporte Clube Pinheiros, one of the most traditional clubs in Sao Paulo, that has invited me to represent them. I’m really happy to represent this club. It is incredible, and all the coaches and athletes too.
What are your goals when it comes to your athletic career?
My next goal is to win ITFS (World Championships), but my future goals are to earn a 100% scholarship in an American University and win a Grand Slam.
How does online schooling help you manage your busy sports schedule with schooling obligations?
Changing to an online school helped me a lot with my obligations. I can manage my time much better and also organize what I need to do. Online school also helps to develop organization, responsibility, and time management skills.
What do you like the most in EduWW school?
I think EduWW is an amazing school, the subjects are great because you have the mandatory ones, but you can also pick some of the ones you have the most interest in, and that’s easy because you have a lot of options. I also like the way the content is explained, first, you read and watch videos about it, then you do a quiz to show how much you understand, and to finish, you submit an activity about it.
Thank you, Isabela. The EduWW team wishes you all the best on both courts – tennis, and education.
