Two women leaders from Brazil and Paraguay reflect on how an international leadership experience is helping them shape their ambitions and create new opportunities for women in rowing.
For Thaís Garib Capovilla of Brazil and Denise Montserrat Ríos Ramírez of Paraguay, three days in Lausanne, Switzerland, offered much more than an opportunity to develop their leadership skills. The experience strengthened their confidence, broadened their perspectives and inspired new ambitions for advancing women’s participation and leadership in rowing.
Supported by ASOIF and World Rowing, the two women participated in the 2026 IOC–ASOIF Women’s Leadership Workshop, held from 3 to 5 October 2026. The programme brought together women from International Federations across the Olympic Movement to strengthen leadership capabilities, exchange experiences and build networks that support their progression into senior decision-making roles.
Through interactive sessions, practical exercises and discussions with peers from different sports, participants explored leadership, strategic communication, governance and the importance of recognising their own potential.
For Thaís and Denise, the experience provided valuable opportunities for personal growth, while reinforcing their commitment to creating pathways for other women in rowing.
Finding the Confidence to Lead
For Thaís Garib Capovilla, Second Vice-President of the Brazilian Rowing Confederation, the workshop marked an important turning point in how she viewed herself as a leader.
“The most valuable part of the workshop was the change in how I saw myself. I arrived in Switzerland with many doubts about my abilities and limited expectations for my future as a leader. Over those three days, something shifted: I began to recognise the value of my own journey, experience and voice.”
Learning alongside women from different sports helped Thaís recognise that leadership does not require having all the answers. Instead, it calls for the courage to contribute, make decisions and continue learning.
“Those were some of the most meaningful days of my life,” she reflected.
The experience has also encouraged her to think more ambitiously about her future, including the possibility of taking on greater responsibilities within her national federation and, potentially, at international level.
“Above all, I left believing that I can – and that I have something valuable to offer.”
For Thaís, this renewed confidence is already shaping how she intends to approach her responsibilities within the Brazilian Rowing Confederation, particularly in events management and the development of women’s rowing.
Turning Communication into Leadership
For Denise Montserrat Ríos Ramírez, an Executive Committee member from Paraguay with experience in sports governance, strategic planning and financial management, the workshop provided practical tools to strengthen her effectiveness as a leader.
Denise identified communication as one of her most important areas of learning, particularly in engaging with fellow Executive Committee members and expressing her ideas with greater clarity and confidence.
“The workshop has been invaluable in helping me identify my weaknesses when communicating with my executive committee. It has provided me with key communication tools that have reinforced my confidence in public speaking, but above all, enabled me to deliver a clear message using effective verbal and body language.”
Her reflections highlight the importance of communication as a leadership skill, particularly for women contributing to governance and decision-making within sports organisations.
Beyond developing her own abilities, Denise returned from Lausanne with ideas for strengthening the participation and visibility of women in rowing.
Creating Opportunities for Other Women
While Thaís and Denise approached the workshop from different professional perspectives, both emerged with a shared determination to translate their learning into meaningful opportunities for other women.
For Thaís, this means creating greater visibility and responsibility for women across the sport, not only as athletes, but also as coaches, officials, organisers and decision-makers.
“I want to help identify women who are ready to grow, listen to the barriers they face and support them through practical experience, connections and opportunities to lead.”
She hopes to contribute to a rowing environment in which women are encouraged to recognise their capabilities, participate in important decisions and pursue leadership opportunities.
“My goal is to contribute to a rowing community where women have a voice in decisions and a clear path towards leadership.”
Denise shares this ambition and is looking to develop a project focused on increasing the visibility of women in rowing. Her ideas include supporting the training and development of female umpires and coaches, alongside creating opportunities for women to connect, row together and exchange experiences.
She hopes to establish “an integration space for women in rowing to row together, share ideas, and explore opportunities for improvement in our sport.”
These ambitions reflect a central message emerging from the workshop: empowering women leaders can create opportunities that extend far beyond the individual participants.
Building a Stronger Future for Women in Rowing
The IOC-ASOIF Women’s Leadership Workshop provides an important platform for women working in sport to strengthen their leadership capabilities, share experiences and establish professional networks across the Olympic Movement.
For World Rowing, supporting the participation of Thaís and Denise forms part of its wider commitment to advancing gender equality and strengthening women’s representation in leadership and governance.
Their experiences demonstrate the value of investing in women who are already making meaningful contributions to the sport, while providing them with the confidence, skills and connections to pursue greater responsibilities.
Importantly, both women are looking beyond their own professional development. Their ambitions to support coaches, officials, administrators and emerging women leaders illustrate how leadership development can contribute to lasting change within national federations and the wider rowing community.
World Rowing congratulates Thaís and Denise on their participation and thanks the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and the workshop facilitators for providing this valuable opportunity.
For Thaís and Denise, the experience in Lausanne was not simply about becoming stronger leaders themselves. It was about recognising their potential to open doors for others.
Photo credits:
Thais Capovilla and Denise Rios Ramirez