Jade will compete one-armed at Brazilian Nationals and hopes to be training normally by December

After shining in the Pan-American Games, and being one of the great medal hopes for Brazil in the Beijing Olympic Games, Jade Barbosa has much more modest goals for 2009. One of them is to compete in the Brazil National Championships, from the 21st to the 23rd of August.

Her coach in Flamengo, Ricardo Pereira, is impressed with the ability of the athlete, who trains virtually all her moves with only one hand because of the seriousness of the injury to her right wrist. "It is difficult, but she is so talented, has so many possibilities, that she can still train with one arm. It depends on motivation and talent. I think we will get there (to the national championships), and surprise many people," said the coach.

The main goal is to compete on beam and floor, but Jade can also compete in UB, for which she was recently released by the doctor. Cautiously, she avoids making predictions, but believes she can return to normal training by December.

"I will compete with one hand only. Currently I am doing the exercises so that I can build a series (routine?) Gradually, we will see if I improve. If I improve, I will be back to both arms at the end of the year."

Despite her resourcefulness, she confesses that it is very hard to relearn to perform movements with one hand.

It is very difficult to do everything with one arm only; you have fewer options. Before I could do three things, now I can only do one...It is complicated," says the gymnast, who does not feel more pain in the injured wrist. Jade says that today, an exercise performed correctly during training is more valuable than many of the achievements that were obtained while in Curitiba with the team.

"I am motivated only by those whom I am involved with, my family, my coach. This means a lot to my life in the gym. In Curitibia, I sometimes was not even valuing what I was achieving. Now, when I perform an exercise correctly, I am very happy."