Staying at the Olympic Village is unbelievable. It is a beautiful place and things are working fine.
 
People are very friendly, those working, the volunteers and the different athletes you bump into. I met an Irish girl that will be rowing and we shared a few of our experiences. I also met people from field hockey and a couple from equestrian. 

I am open to meeting new people and it is really interesting to be able to speak to people from other countries.
 
There are plenty of things to do if you have any downtime. One of the sponsors has a virtual reality area that is really entertaining; there are bicycles and even a bus to move you from one place to the other. It is a huge village and you shouldn’t get tired from going from place to place.

Olympic mode

This is obviously my first Olympic Games and I am extremely excited about being here, making sure it is the experience I’ve dreamt of.
 
A balance must be found of course. We were given some time to find our bearings the day we moved in. We did all the typical selfies with the rings and different areas of the village.
 
We also had our first press conference and then went to the beach for a bit of a relaxing before hitting Olympic mode. It is all about ensuring that we are not overwhelmed by being here and are ready when the time comes. Reality is we are here to compete at the highest level.

We have already started training in Rio and everything was perfect. The pitch was in incredible condition and although there is a tight security, they are there to help. And the volunteers are really fantastic.

Keep Rugby Clean

As athletes we are very well looked after so that we only need to worry about playing and playing well.
 
In that sense, doping is a big issue and we in rugby are very serious about it and we all support the Keep Rugby Clean programme.

 

We have undergone various controls. Personally, I was tested for urine and blood on Thursday and when we moved into the village, I was drawn again for a control. You have to comply and it is good that it is so rigid as it is another way of protecting us … this time from cheating athletes.
 
As members of Time Brazil, we are at home, with the support of the country and of course this marvellous city which just happens to be my hometown too.

Huge motivation

Given that we will be playing the next day we won’t be going to the Opening Ceremony. It will be nonetheless emotional to watch it together as a team. It is a pity that we’ll miss it, but fortunately, we will be there for the Closing Ceremony, enjoying the last night of what will certainly have been a great Olympic Games.
 
The adrenaline as we are hours from opening the Rio 2016 Games is huge. There is a mix of anxiety and pride about being part of rugby’s big history – that it is in my country makes it even bigger. 

But overall, there is a huge sense of responsibility about representing my nation and my sport in the biggest sporting stage of all. That is our motivation.
 
I can only say … let the Games begin!

Photos: Beatriz Futuro Muhlbauer