Hailing from the prestigious Team Atos, under the guidance of her renowned parents, Andre and Angelica, Sarah Galvao embodies the legacy of excellence that runs deep within her family lineage. As a purple belt prodigy, she has been turning heads with her remarkable skills and tenacity on the mat. Having started her journey in jiu-jitsu at a young age, Sarah's meteoric rise serves as a testament to the evolving landscape of the sport, where young athletes like her are making waves and reaching elite technical levels younger than ever before. Fresh off her gold medal performance at the 2024 IBJJF Europeans where she made her IBJJF debut in the adult purple belt division, Sarah is now gearing up for an electrifying super fight at the IBJJF Absolute Grand Prix. In this interview, we delve into Sarah's journey, aspirations, and the challenges she faces on her path to greatness.

Can you talk about how you got started in jiu-jitsu? Did you love the sport from day one or did it take some time for you to fall in love with it?

I was four when I first started jiu-jitsu. I stopped training when I was eight and came back to it at twelve. Whether I liked it or not, jiu-jitsu was an everyday thing for me. It's my parents' career, so I was bound to be around the environment. I was never forced to do jiu-jitsu but fell in love with it at the age of twelve and knew that it was going to be my future. I decided to do jiu-jitsu full time after I lost my first Pan Kids. After that day a fire grew inside of me, wanting that taste of victory and here I am now.

You had a lot of success in the juvenile ranks and so did many of your teammates. Can you talk about the importance of having so many like minded athletes around you that all have similar goals?

The "dream team", as we like to call it, is why I am where I'm at now. Training with strong women who have the same goals and career as me really helped my jiu-jitsu. Not only that, but everyone with a different game and style of playing jiu-jitsu really helped me get well rounded. The "dream team" involves me, Lillian Marchand, Alexa Herse, Emily Leyva, Jadeya Reber and Dania Silva. Not only are they teammates but they are my friends. When they win, I win. When one loses, we all lose. Having people that have the same mindset as you is key to a strong team.

Who are some of the athletes that you grew up watching and drew inspiration from?

I know everyone expects me to say my dad but it's true. I don't think I’ve looked up to someone as much as my dad. He's not only an inspiration as a jiu-jitsu athlete but also as a role model. Of course there are Atos athletes such as Andy Murasaki, Luiza Monteiro, Rafaela Guedes, and Jonnatas Gracie who inspire me, but my dad is someone I grew up watching on the mats and at home and I truly wish to be like him.

After making your adult purple belt debut at Europeans, you came away with gold in the lightweight division. What was that experience like?

I have fought in the adult division before, so I wasn't surprised with anything. It's exciting seeing me get one step closer to my dreams and makes me crave it more. But I can say that my dreams are becoming a reality, and you can expect 100% effort from me every match.

Next up is a super fight against Sabrina Lourenco of Dream Art. What do you know about Sabrina as an opponent and how do you see this match playing out?

Sabrina is an aggressive fighter and likes to go for submissions. And that makes it so much more interesting because that's exactly how I would talk about my game. The only thing is, we have a different style of jiu-jitsu, so that makes it exciting! I of course am confident in myself and my jiu-jitsu. It’s going to be a tough match but I plan on getting the victory.

This is your debut in an IBJJF GP event. What do you think makes these events special and do you hope to compete in more events like this going forward?

I think super fights are like the finals match that everyone wants to watch. And since it's only one fight, both fighters are at 100%, which makes it even more entertaining! I love what I do, and my job is to fight so I would love to participate in more events like these and show my jiu-jitsu to the world.

What are your plans for the rest of 2024 for IBJJF competition?

I plan on doing the Grand Slam once again and maybe throw in some no gi. I like to focus on one thing at a time, but you will see me very active this year, especially since it's my first year as an adult in IBJJF.

Don't miss Sarah Galvao's IBJJF super fight debut at the Absolute No-Gi GP! The event takes place on Thursday, February 29th and is sponsored exclusively by Kingz Kimonos. Be sure to tune in to FloGrappling to catch all the action.