Olympics.com/PT published a story on Tim Rider, who was born in Brazil and adopted by an American family. He learned lacrosse and since 2023 has been a member of the Brazilian national team.
The original story can be found in Portuguese on Olympics.com here. An approximate English translation of the story can be found below.
Tim Rider was born in Fortaleza, Ceará, in August 1983 and is currently a member of the Brazilian men’s lacrosse team . However, this is not a typical journey for athletes representing their country of birth. It is a journey that began when he was still a baby, abandoned in a park in the capital of Ceará.
Shortly after he was born, he was found alive in vegetation near a highway . He was taken to an orphanage and, months later, adopted by an American family . He grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, one of the main centers of the sport that entered the Olympic program in LA28 .
And it is thanks to lacrosse that Tim Rider was able to get closer to Brazil and its culture. A fan of Brazilian football (and the motto ‘joga bonito’ that marked the five-time world champion generation), of the food and of the characteristic joy, he understands the country much better thanks to the interaction with other Brazilians.
“With lacrosse itself, it’s about the people. You connect with other people on the team who may not be Brazilian, but have a grandmother, mother or father who was born in Brazil. When you talk to these people and their families, you feel like you know them and that’s the most important part. Lacrosse is part of that and introduces you to something much bigger,” he tells Olympics.com exclusively.
For example, it was an opportunity to develop a sense of belonging to a culture that Tim had not been able to experience for much of his life. It is no wonder that he calls the group of Brazilian players a “brotherhood” and has set as a goal, more than just scoring goals on the field, the possibility of contributing to the growth of the national team .
Whenever possible, he tries to hold clinics for athletes in the US, one of the main countries in the sport. He also helps to find equipment there and send it to Brazil, such as gloves and poles. All so that this development work can continue. “Situations like this help to stay connected with the culture and the country itself,” he added.
Tim Rider was just a baby and therefore has no memories of the time he spent at the orphanage after being abandoned in a park in Fortaleza. However, this does not mean that he has no memories of the period . His adoptive family kept a photo album from the time he was at the orphanage and even newspaper clippings that portray the case.
Shortly after being taken to the orphanage, an American nurse began the adoption process with the support of a volunteer organization that assists families seeking to adopt Latin American children. The process took about a year—until the family received a call that there was a child in Fortaleza, Brazil, and they needed to be there within a week .
“They raised money from family and friends and took a quick flight to Brazil. And the rest is history,” laughs Tim, who has an older brother who was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and went through the entire procedure.
Tim Rider knew he was Brazilian when he was a child (“my father is much taller than me, so you know,” he jokes) and sought to incorporate elements that are characteristic of Brazil into his life. He sought information about his biological mother, but the lack of documents prevented him from finding out more about his origins .
Nothing bothers him. So much so that he wants to pass on this feeling of Brazil to his daughter, Reese, who is nine years old. One of his dreams is to take her on a trip around the country, taking another step in this reconnection that lacrosse helps to provide.
Tim Rider first played lacrosse as a teenager, before entering high school. The experience lasted about a year , but he put it aside to dedicate himself to two other sports: track and field and soccer . “I wouldn’t be Brazilian if I didn’t try soccer,” he joked.
When he had already graduated and was working, he decided to return to lacrosse to stay active and in shape. Nothing too serious, just a way to practice physical activity . So much so that he never even considered becoming a professional player – or representing a team in international competitions.
Until he saw a post on Instagram about the Brazilian lacrosse team , still in its early stages and looking for athletes with dual citizenship who could help popularize the sport. He got in touch, talked about his experience and availability, and in 2023 he was already part of the group.
“In the beginning, it was more about having opportunities to play. Now it has evolved and I want to spread the sport. We want to develop the sport and make it known to more people who didn’t know about lacrosse,” he assured.
Meanwhile, lacrosse was added to the LA28 Olympic Games program with the Sixes discipline – with only six players on each side instead of ten as in the traditional version. Even so, it is a boost that Tim Rider hopes will contribute to the growth of the sport in Brazil and worldwide.
“It’s the Olympic Games, right? Everyone wants to be part of the Olympic Games,” he summarized.
In Brazil, inclusion in the Olympic program allowed lacrosse to become part of the Brazilian Olympic Committee – and, consequently, to have access to resources earmarked for Olympic sports. In addition, there was greater movement on social media and contact with athletes who have dual citizenship and can raise the level of the game here.
For Tim Rider, it is only a matter of time before Brazilians become enchanted by the sport, which also has goals and is played on grass by teams – similar to football. Even more so in the Sixes format , which requires more skill, movement and speed from players.
“Countries like Brazil will thrive because it involves a lot of conditioning, speed and footwork. It’s cultural, practically. And it’s also easier to understand Sixes, there are fewer positions, it’s a shorter game. For Brazilians, with their speed and agility, they will do very well,” he concluded.
