Tradition, sweat, and ‘The Victors’

SÃO PAULO—Some legacies go beyond talent; they cross generations, continents, and hearts.

In the Borges family, the love for the University of Michigan is combined with focus, discipline, and sportsmanship — a heritage that begins with four-time Brazilian Olympic medalist swimmer Gustavo Borges and continues with his son, Luiz Gustavo, and his daughter, Gabriella, also former U-M athletes.

“I grew up in São Paulo knowing the Michigan fight song before the Brazilian national anthem,” Gabriella Franco Borges says. “Since I was a child, we watched Michigan games on television, and I learned the song that best represents the Wolverines’ spirit early on.”

Luiz Gustavo Borges remembers his father singing “The Victors” at the dinner table when he was a boy; he didn’t quite memorize the lyrics.

“But when I arrived at Michigan, it was part of our swim team’s culture to sing the fight song every Saturday at the end of practice,” he says. “This went on for four years. It was hundreds of times.”

The first choice

In the 1990s, Gustavo Borges was a young athlete himself, chasing big dreams far beyond Brazil. The talented swimmer turned down four other college offers and followed his heart to the United States.

“I always wanted to live in a different place,” he says. “I remember on one of my visits, a few flurries fell. I had never seen snow before. ”

Borges soon overcame the uncertainties of adapting to college life in a climate, and a country, so far from home.

“I chose Michigan because I had a good feeling about it, you know?” he said. “I felt a strong connection with the team and the coach, Jon Urbanchek, and the academic tradition heavily influenced me.”

Between 1991 and 1995, Borges balanced intense training with the demands of his economics degree at the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Soon, fear gave way to achievements — and not just medals.

“I got a home away from home and grew a lot,” he says. “Academic learning doesn’t compare to the experience you have within a university. It’s what you learn in a general way, as a human being. I had an extremely difficult calculus class, which taught me much more than any other subject. When you put a lot of effort into something and then break through that barrier, it’s valuable in the long run. True learning is overcoming.”

Known for his explosive speed, Borges accumulated 10 NCAA national titles, with eight wins in individual events and two in relays. Other results were impressive: 24 All-American awards, consecutive wins in the 100-yard freestyle, becoming the only athlete in Michigan history to win the title four consecutive years — and the 1995 National Championship. In 2013, he was inducted into the U-M Hall of Fame.

While at Michigan, Borges swam in the 1992 Olympics, winning a silver medal in the 100-meter freestyle. He also won silver and bronze medals at the 1996 Olympic games and a bronze at the 2000 Olympics. He also participated in the 2004 games.

The legacy continues

When Luiz Gustavo Borges arrived at U-M’s Canham Natatorium in 2017, his father’s name was already immortalized: Gustavo Borges’ Olympic swim cap was displayed in the hall, alongside those of such icons as Michael Phelps, Connor Jaeger, and Tyler Clary.

Too much pressure? Far from being a burden, Borges’ legacy served as a trampoline for his son, who is now a professional swimmer.

“My parents always encouraged me, but they never said I had to go to Michigan,” Luiz Gustavo says. “I was able to compare colleges, talk to athletes and coaches, and decide for myself. I understood that there was a strong tradition there, but also space to build my own story.

“I took it as an opportunity to be my best self. And I went further. I managed to beat practically all of his marks and break the 100-yard freestyle record.”

While studying at the Ross School of Business, Luiz Gustavo excelled in swimming, earning three-time Big Ten champion honors in relays, 12 All-American awards, and individual standout status at the NCAA level. He also kept a routine of discipline that mirrored his father’s.

“Only with organization and dedication is it possible to be a high-level athlete and student. I learned to do things with excellence, to do my best every day,” he says.

Out of the water, he emphasized the team’s spirit of unity.

“On Saturdays, we had exhausting morning practices for almost four hours,” Luiz Gustavo says. “But when it was over, we would all go eat together, at the pool itself, in the dorms or at a restaurant. Afterward, already dressed in Maize and Blue, we would go to the Big House to cheer on the Wolverines. I loved those days together.”

A new path, the same spirit

Gabriella Franco Borges almost broke with family tradition.

“I wanted to create my legacy somewhere else, but I understood that a legacy only remains if the family returns,” she says. “When I went to a game at the Big House, I simply fell in love. I knew right away: It was Michigan. Besides being one of the best universities in the world, it has the four seasons and Ann Arbor is the most American city you can see in the movies.”

She chose rowing instead of swimming, but continued the family’s Maize and Blue tradition.

As an athlete on U-M’s elite rowing team, she helped the crew win second place in the Big Ten, finished in the Top 10 nationally, and graduated with a degree in industrial and operations engineering in 2024, with academic distinction.

“Several girls on the team were also studying engineering, so they were all very focused on both their studies and the sport,” Gabriella says. “That helped a lot with adaptation and performance in both areas.”

Today, working at Dow Chemical in Michigan, she applies the lessons from the sport to her life.

“At U-M, I learned a lot about dealing with people and working in a team,” she says. “We can’t always do something alone, and recognizing each person’s talents can greatly help with projects. In rowing, you need to know each member individually before you can win as a team. I take that with me to work every day.”

Values, entrepreneurship, impact

Back in Brazil, Gustavo Borges dominated the world of professional swimming for decades, gaining an international profile — superstar status in his home country — while breaking world records. Then, he followed his vocation beyond the pools.

In 2004, he retired from professional competition to establish a swimming school that has since expanded to include 400 academies, impacting more than 250,000 students annually. In 2025, he was recognized on the Forbes 50 Over 50 list and continues to secure his legacy with discipline and consistency.

Alongside his son, Luiz, he inspires young people through lectures on sports, education, and overcoming challenges. He continues to demonstrate same intensity as when he was chasing a podium finish.

“I want to continue transforming lives through sport, education, and health,” the elder Borges says. “And it is more than important to emphasize that our greatest teaching comes from family values. The simple things we need to do in life — such as putting effort into what we have to do and committing to what we desire — we learn at home. Michigan was the perfect school to enhance those values that were born there.”

Thus, for the Borges family, “The Victors” evolved from being just a victory chant — at the dinner table, in the TV room in São Paulo, or at sporting events on Michigan’s campus — to become the soundtrack that will always accompany their family story.

Reporting for this story was made possible by a trip to São Paulo, Brazil, to meet the Borges family. It was sponsored by U-M’s Brazil Initiative at the Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies.