I’ve had the pleasure of attending Collision From Home, top technology conference, and sitting down with Gilberto da Silva. Gilberto da Silva is a Brazilian former professional footballer and gained a call-up to the Brazilian national team for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. As a result, Gilberto moves to the Premier League to sign for Arsenal and gained a reputation as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. Throughout his career, Gilberto represented Brazil for 9 years and was a core component as the team won the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup and the Copa America in 2007.
What is Collision From Home?
Times may be uncertain, but one thing remains true. There’s a simple power in people coming together.
Following in the spirit of Collision, Collision from Home attendees will participate from wherever they are in the world, live streaming talks from tech CEOs, international policymakers, and global cultural figures. They’ll chat and connect with each other through the bespoke Collision from Home app and they’ll engage with some of the world’s most influential companies and fastest-growing startups.
Thank you so much for joining us today! Can you tell us how you got to your specific career path?
Well, I played football for many years, as much of us growing up in Brazil did. We grow up, play football on the streets with friends and cousins. For me, this is an activity that I was really good at, and I gained the opportunity to play in an Academy to become a professional. From there, I had the opportunity to play in bigger and bigger clubs around the world, especially when I moved to Europe. There, I played for Arsenal and the Brazil teams. Looking back, I’ve accomplished and experienced a lot more than I had planned when I started.
What are your proudest moments?
The proudest times in my life is when I see my children repeating a lesson I’ve shared with them. As a father, we are raising our children, and sometimes, we have to teach them things they may not like at the moment, but that they need to learn. And on the days when I hear my children repeat a lesson or use something I’ve taught them in their day to day life, I feel incredibly proud. I always tell my family and my kids–it doesn’t matter how hard life is outside of our home. The world can crumble down, but our home is our safe place. We hold each other, we support each other. It doesn’t matter what is happening outside, as long as we are here for each other.
What do you want your legacy to be?
I have always believed that my kids are the continuation of who I am and my legacy. When I see them interacting with others with generosity, humility, and kindness, I see myself and my wife in them. I hope for them to always express gratitude for life, for the things we have, and I really believe that this is the great legacy of life.
What life philosophies do you live by?
I always tell my kids to always be honest in life. When you are honest, people respect you. Be humble, because when you are humble, doors will open to you, and the doors will continue to be open to you when you leave. And try to be happy, even if you cannot be happy every day. Try to see the positive in life regardless of the problems.
Thank you so much! That is incredibly inspirational. Turning towards your career, can you share a story about a funny mistake you’ve made and what you learned from it?
There have been many funny moments in life. I remember one time before I started playing football professionally. I was playing with the other kids in my town, and we were traveling from my town to the other town, which was about half an hour ride. When I had to jump out of the truck, I ran out and split my shorts by accident, and I didn’t have another pair of pants. I was very shy at the time, and everyone was laughing, and it was a funny situation. I learned a lot from this situation. I learn not to let something lose my focus, and to continue to enjoy playing football with my friends. Even without the right shorts, we still had to play amateur football. And I learn that we can’t complain when something goes wrong for us. Sometimes, negative things will happen, and we have to focus on what we can learn from it and how much stronger we will be afterward.
What are you working on right now that you are excited about?
Since I retired from football, I have experienced different situations. I have my own hotel in Brazil and a sports company where I look after some players as an agent. Right now, I am an investor in Tru Challenge. Tru Challenge is a social platform that users can host challenges and invite video responses and participate in challenges created by sports stars such as Michael Jordan or Dikembe Mutombo. It’s an amazing platform where you can have fun with your friends and family, educate your children, and engage with fans.
Originally published on Thrive Global
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