Sao Paulo, Brazil. St. Augustine, Fla. Binghamton, N.Y.
One of these places is not like the other. So what could make Binghamton University swimming star junior Brenno Varanda leave the warmth of the first two for the colder temperature of the Southern Tier?
“I already had heat and tropical weather all my life,” Varanda says. “Might as well try some snow for four years or so.”
Some might have made different decisions, but choices like coming to Binghamton are why Varanda was named America East Swimmer of the Year this season.
Varanda’s first decision came in Brazil when he was just 7 years old. With many of his friends starting to concentrate their energy on soccer, the national sport of choice, he found his joy in swimming.
“My parents were trying everything to make me tired so I would go to bed early,” Varanda says. “They found out that throwing me in a pool and making me do a bunch of laps would.”
Not only was swimming a fun activity for Varanda, but he was good at it too. In fact, he was so good that after breaking a state record in his age group he was invited to join a competitive Brazilian team. The team, however, started to turn one of Varanda’s biggest enjoyments into one of his biggest pains.
“I had to travel about one hour or more every day to go to practice,” Varanda said. “At that age I felt I was missing some of my childhood.”
With thoughts that he may want to stop swimming as it became less fun, Varanda decided that he needed a change in perspectives. Though he would still compete and train seriously, he began to think of swimming as a fun activity, and not just work. The move paid off as the new mindset helped him continue to excel, despite moving to a new country.
High school passed and Varanda was courted by many colleges including Dartmouth and Florida State University. Schools were impressed with his swimming record and offered him scholarships, but Varanda wanted more. He wanted an education.
“I was a very dorky kid,” Varanda says. “When I was a kid I made a centrifuge for fun one time, so I guess I was always [geared] towards engineering.”
With that stipulation in place, many colleges seemed to hesitate. Binghamton, however, rose to the challenge and became his school of choice. Now three years in, Varanda has learned to balance his swimming and studying. He was named to the 2008 America East Swimming and Diving All-Academic Team.
Varanda has learned to take aspects from his academics and apply them to his athletics. The same determination that goes into an engineering project is applied in the pool.
“On a daily basis he does stuff in practice that we wouldn’t think to be possible,” says Andrew Palumbo, Varanda’s teammate. “It inspires the rest of us to push ourselves beyond the limit.”
Varanda’s contributions to the team don’t always have to be in the pool. Brenno is also known to help the team in different ways.
“Every once in a while, in the middle of a set during practice, he’ll jump out of the pool and say, ‘Screw swimming, I just want to dance!’” said Peter Rodrick, another Binghamton swimmer. “He kind of acts like a child even though he’s 22. It brings everyone together.”
His actions in the pool, however, are no joke. With the breaststroke as his trademark, these skills are needed for him to succeed. Varanda’s extensive work during practice helps him develop the optimal technique. With this knowledge at hand he can beat out the other bigger swimmers that use their strength to blast underwater.
“He works his body really well,” said Varanda’s head coach Sean Clark. “He stays on top of the water better than anybody else I’ve gotten to coach.”
The hard work seems to be paying off. In his career so far with the Bearcats, he has captured America East records for the 200-yard breaststroke and 400-yard individual medley. He also holds the Binghamton pool record in the 200-yard individual medley, once held by former graduate and NCAA qualifier David Holmes. But Varanda still has goals for next season, his last.
“I want our team to be good enough to beat Boston University,” he said.
The Terriers defeated Boston in a dual meet in November, and the Bearcats finished third behind Boston at February’s AE Championship.
Group over individual — seems like another good decision for Varanda.