He shared the news in a heartwarming and bittersweet post on his official Instagram page. Ever gracious, he thanked all of the people that have had a huge influence on his athletic career, as well as his family, wife (Carol), and coaches.
He expressed that he is thankful for all that the sport has provided him, and the person he has become throughout this journey. “In a total of 24 years of competitive swimming, I learned many lessons that I will take with them for the rest of my life,” he reflected.
“I learned to win, and more importantly, I learned to lose, to have the humility to acknowledge my mistakes and to have the resilience to try again,” he added.
“Through this sport, I met incredible people around the world, I had contact with different cultures and got an academic education that prepared me for the next step in my life,” he remarked, prior to thanking specific people that have helped him along the way.
Being the respected swimmer that he is, many of his former teammates and swimmers from all over the world wished de Lucca their “good luck” wishes on his new journey in life.
On a lighter note, he shared that he has taken on the role of Head Coach of a swimming team in Louisville, Kentucky. “I am very excited to pass on everything that sport has taught me and to help the next generations of swimmers to become faster and better citizens in the world,” he acknowledged.
In the inaugural International Swimming League (ISL), de Lucca competed for the New York Breakers, where he also served as one of the captains of the team.
To learn more about Brazilian swimmer Joao de Lucca, follow him on Instagram.
Read More: Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos chatted with Joao de Lucca back in November of 2019.
