ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Elite athletes are incredibly focused and driven to compete at the highest level, sometimes overcoming great odds to succeed, especially for one University of Michigan swimmer who is punching her ticket to Paris while managing a serious health issue.
Stephanie Balduccini is one of the boldest athletes you’ll ever meet. Due to a health emergency, she almost missed out on a chance for Paris, but she emerged victorious once again. Now, she’s making her second Olympic trip.
Some athletes spend their entire lives vying for a spot in the Olympics, but not Balduccini, who some call Brazil’s prodigy in the pool.
At 16, Balduccini was the youngest Brazilian athlete to compete in the Olympics.
The University of Michigan freshman is returning on the Brazilian relay team heading to Paris.
“People ask me what the difference is between me going in 2021 and me in 2024, and honestly, not much has changed,” Balduccini said. “Honestly, not much has changed. I just think the love of the love of the sport has grown.”
Making the Olympics is always a challenge, and Balduccini’s attempt at the second trip was twice as hard as Brazil’s swimming trials, which came with some tribulations.
“I was dealing with a really bad stomach pain, which I thought was probably food poisoning, but the pain just got worse,” Balduccini said. “So, I ended up going to the hospital. My friends took me, and it turned out I had appendicitis, which is not something you want to hear two weeks out from an Olympic trial.”
Despite her diagnosis, Balduccini pressed on.
“As it didn’t burst, you have the option of taking it out or not going to the Olympic trials or taking antibiotics,” Balduccini said. “It was a risky choice as a lot could’ve gone wrong. It turns out the antibiotics didn’t have full effect, so I was swimming in quite a bit of pain.”
Balduccini, swimming through all that pain, paid off, earning a spot on the team.
“I was balling my eyes out because I was so relieved that I had qualified,” Balduccini said. “The time was not good, but it didn’t matter at that point. I was like, I just got to take my wins, and this is one of them.”
After getting into the Olympics, that appendix eventually came out.
“She had a lot to deal with, and I think at one point, physically and emotionally, so to be able to have to deal with all of that by flying down to Brazil, perform under pressure again, and make the team was incredible,” said University of Michigan swim coach Matt Bowe.
The recovery continues as Balduccini returns to the world’s stage, with the last few months preparing her for Paris.
“I love a challenge, and I think that was a big challenge that I had to face,” Balduccini said. “One thing that appendicitis has taught me is that you can’t just give up when times get really hard or get angry when things don’t go your way.”
A tattoo on her arm commemorates that last Olympic trip, which she got with her parent’s permission.
But in Paris, Balduccini said she wants a new souvenir other than ink.
“Medaling is definitely a goal,” Balduccini said. “I think, especially in 2028, it’s a bigger goal, and that would mean the world.”
And if you are wondering, Balduccini’s appendix did eventually come out. She had it removed right after the trials, and she said that she feels fortunate with how it all worked out.