One of the most iconic scenes in cinema is from the 1982 film ET – The Extra-Terrestrial. The one where the boy Elliott and the alien fly on a bicycle. That's right.
If life were a movie, Ceará could count on a representative who's also flying on a bike. Gilberto Silva, 33, is second in the Ceará championship, second in the national cycling rankings in the Elite category, and dreams of making the Brazilian national team. From Maracanaú, he's also a para-athlete and has the support of his wife and two children.
Shortly after birth, Gilberto developed polio. As a result, he required several surgeries, resulting in a gap between his legs. At the time, he could barely run or walk long distances.
At the age of 10, he received a bicycle from his maternal grandmother and life took a turn that transformed his life.
“My leg started to develop. With the exercise of cycling I even started to run,” Gilberto recalled.
From then on, his friendship with the skinny girl grew stronger. He used the bike only for leisure, but in 2003, at the invitation of a friend, he started training. In the film, Elliot wore a hood, but Gilberto started wearing a helmet.
The bicycle was no longer just for fun, it became a tool for competition and a means to fly higher, like the boy and his friend ET.
"I used to cycle a lot for fun and had never competed. I needed to occupy my mind with the sport. I received an invitation from a friend who cycled, and I saw in training that I could do it. That's when I started cycling and competing professionally," explained the athlete, who also competes in the C5 category of paracycling.
At 20, he began to excel in local competitions and quickly gained attention at the company where he works. There, he started as a wire cutter and is now a driver. But beyond his job, he also received sponsorship, allowing him to compete in competitions throughout Brazil.
And so the titles began to roll in. There are over 150 podiums. Among them are 10 Ceará Elite Mountain Bike Champion titles, runner-up in the national Elite Mountain Bike ranking, two North and Northeast championships, four medals in the Brazilian Paracycling Cup, and bronze in the Brazilian Paracycling Track Championship. And so, the bike keeps flying.
One of the strongest names in Brazilian cycling, Gilberto has the support of his family. Married, his children and wife help ensure his career continues to grow.
"My wife helps me a lot. She helps me with my diet and encourages me. I have two children: Gabriele, two, and Gilberto Filho, ten, who is very inspired by me. I hold the reins because he's still too young to train."
"He's eager, he already wants to ride, to do what I do. But I see him as a promise, a future champion," said Gilberto, father and husband, proudly.
The bike is present in every aspect of the Ceará native's life. Unlike Elliot, who used his bike to save his friend ET in one of cinema's most famous escapes, Gilberto keeps his tires firmly on the ground to get around the city.
He also trains up to five hours a day and cycles 500 to 700 kilometers a week. But to keep up with his demanding training routine, the Ceará native has someone to look up to.
"I'm inspired by American Lance Armstrong. Despite doping, he beat cancer twice and is still admirable. I'm also inspired by my coach, Maurício Leão, 43. Everything I've learned is from him," said the cyclist.
Riding a bike, dealing with speed, pedaling, challenging, winning. The solitary task of competing, not always with the wind, keeps Gilberto's dreams company on every pedal stroke.
The sport transformed the life of the athlete who spares no effort to reach higher and dreams of returning home, like the character in the film, but with a spot on the Brazilian national team.
– I am focused on achieving my goal, which is to try to be among the top three.
"Thank God I'm in second place. And I want to win the Ceará championship. Also, I want to win the paracycling stages and try to fight for a spot on the Brazilian paracycling team and compete internationally," he concluded.
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