English Version | Like a force

What do Gisele Bündchen and Cristiano Ronaldo have in common? They are both outstanding in their fields. Gisele, now 43 and on her way to 44, has been one of the highest paid models in the world. On the other hand, Ronaldo is considered by many to be one of the best footballers of all time, and some even consider him to be the best player of all time. The beauty of the Brazilian top and the “salero” that catapulted her onto the catwalks is unquestionable, but it is also true to say that there is no shortage of beautiful women with impeccable attributes around the world, whether they are models or not. In soccer, Cristiano Ronaldo is revered - “hated by thousands and loved by millions” - not just for his ball handling skills, but for what he represents in sport. Cristiano is a true athlete, and that goes far beyond just being an outstanding player. So what do these sports and fashion stars have in common? There's a saying, attributed to Thomas Edison, that “talent is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” The American inventor always advocated tireless work. The story goes that Edison made more than a thousand attempts before he finally succeeded in creating a functional light bulb with a vacuum carbon filament in 1879. In an interview with a podcast, Ronaldo talked about the habits he keeps to stay at the top and said that everyone wants to be like Cristiano, but doing so is difficult: “Talent without work is nothing and work without talent is nothing. They have to work together. I have both. I can't say which one I have more, because if you look at my career, being at the top for 20 years is very difficult. (...) I'll give you the recipe, but can you do it and are you willing to do it? It's the main thing, because everyone wants to be Cristiano, but doing it is difficult. Discipline is the main thing. Of course I don't like going to the gym every day, nobody does, but you have to,” he continued. The Al-Nassr forward manages to put himself on a par with Argentinian footballer Messi, even though he's not as talented as him, because of his devotion to soccer, something that should be an example to all other players. It doesn't mean he's the best player, the greatest star. Now, why the best athlete? Because Ronaldo has become better over time, developing skills that he didn't have and, in order to keep up with a phenomenon, the greatest footballing phenomenon after Pelé, which is Messi, he manages to do it on the basis of hard work and not, as you might imagine, on the basis of a lot of work. Cristiano should serve as an inspiration to all players because of his commitment to soccer, he is someone who works every day to improve. In addition to following a diet focused on health, including lean proteins, whole grains and salads, while avoiding sugars and fats, as reported by Italian Giorgio Barone, the Portuguese national team captain's personal chef in Turin during his Juventus days. Hydration is an obvious priority, exemplified by the scene in which he replaced a bottle of Coca-Cola with a bottle of water at a press conference in 2021. Juan Ignácio Gallardo and Luis Miguel Pereira highlight this exemplary dedication and his abstention from alcohol and drugs in CR7 - The Secrets of the Machine (2014). Off the pitch, Ronaldo invests in cryotherapy for post-match recovery, eating six meals a day, spaced out every three or four hours, as mentioned by the English newspaper The Sun. He maintains an alcohol-free routine, despite his family history with the problem, and follows a sleep method structured by 90-minute cycles, as advised by sleep coach Nick Littlehales.

In Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life (2018), Gisele Bündchen underlines this key idea of discipline: “I'm very disciplined, because I think discipline brings freedom (...) Without discipline, dreams will always remain in your head. Every day you have the chance to make them come true. Don't give up just because they aren't manifesting themselves as quickly or in the way you want them to. Trust the process and keep working to make them happen.” I read somewhere that discipline is what we have left when motivation doesn't appear. And both Gisele and Cristiano Ronaldo are examples of this undeniable certainty. Getting close to perfection - assuming that, as human beings, imperfect by nature, we will never achieve it - is not for those who want it, but for those who are willing. The price is high, but so is the gratification, even if only for a moment. In an interview, Usain Bolt, former Jamaican sprinter, multi-Olympic and world champion, and certainly one of the greatest sportsmen of all time, said: “I trained for four years to run just nine seconds. Some people don't see results in two months and give up straight away.” An athlete - anyone, in general? - who wants to reach the top must make sacrifices. Physically, it is essential to adopt a healthy lifestyle, which includes taking care with food, hydration, sleep and avoiding harmful behaviors. This, coupled with physical preparation and compliance with - in the case of an athlete - a plan established by coaches and physical trainers. “It's increasingly known that, rather than a physical predisposition, it's the combination of all these factors that makes the difference between an athlete and an excellent athlete,” explains Inês Espiga de Macedo, a specialist in General Practice at Hospital Lusíadas Porto. She adds: “A top athlete undergoes medical examinations at the start of the pre-season to assess their physical condition, health and sporting performance. Throughout the season, monitoring by a multidisciplinary health and sports team is essential, including psychology, nutrition, physiotherapy, osteopathy, physical preparation, team doctor and nursing, to ensure the best state of mental and physical health, both during training and in the decisive moments of competitions. In specific cases, other professionals such as dentists, podiatrists and ophthalmologists may be needed.” In Cristiano Ronaldo's case, several factors contribute to his success, starting with his psychological resilience in the pursuit of his goals: “We all know that, as much as we like doing sport, there are days when we don't wake up with that predisposition. But it's consistency in training that allows you to achieve extraordinary results. In addition, all the other aspects of a healthy lifestyle are fundamental. In this case, it's also known that mental health care and the presence of emotional support are differentiating factors,” says Inês Macedo. She also explains that, as many sports psychologists mention, “working on endurance involves an emotional balance, because before we reach our physical limit, our mind tends to activate protective mechanisms. Sport can be interpreted as a form of aggression against our homeostatic balance.” Therefore, a great athlete must respect the pillars of lifestyle medicine: healthy eating, adequate hydration, restful sleep, stress management, positive social relationships, among others. Finding this ideal balance is not always easy in today's world. American basketball player LeBron James said of success that “it's not earned, it's rented. And you pay the rent every day.” Discipline is a powerful weapon on the road to success. And discipline is also often a great nuisance. Our mind is an expert at making excuses for not doing what is right and what will lead us to our goals and objectives. It's a pain in the ass, most of the time, but it's precisely at this crucial moment that we have to fight our lazy selves. Shut up the little devil, listen to the little angel and move on. Bored, annoyed, but certain that it's the only way to triumph.

Translated from the original in the "Winners Never Quit" issue, published July 2024. Full stories and credits in the print version.