Meet Ricardo Vivian, Champions Trust

For Ricardo Vivian, doing what you love is required to achieve success. By tapping into his family’s philosophy that hard work makes all the difference, he earned a position on Team Brazil and competed in Graphic Design Technology at WorldSkills Leipzig 2013.

Ricardo knew creative work was important to him, but when he entered his first year of professional training as a graphic designer while his friends began their university educations, he began to doubt if he had chosen the right path. Those questions were eliminated when Ricardo began training for Brazil’s national skills competition, in pursuit of a position on Team Brazil.

When the final results of Graphic Design Technology were announced at WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 Ricardo says, “I fell to my knees and was amazed by the moment… the best moment of my life, but it was just the beginning.” Like all those guided by creativity, finding the next form of inspiration is critical to move towards the next milestone. Ricardo found his next inspiring WorldSkills moment following the Champions Forum Lucerne 2014, where the Champions developed the idea to establish the WorldSkills Champions Trust. Now in his second term as a representative on the Champions Trust, Ricardo has become a guiding force in creating opportunities for more Champions to continue their connection to WorldSkills.

“Being a past Competitor, I knew that working to bridge WorldSkills and its Champions was something really important, not only for the organization, but for the Competitors too,” notes Ricardo. “My first goal was to win, now it is to spread the WorldSkills mission.”

The passion Ricardo, demonstrated on stage as his name was announced for the gold medal at WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 is reflected in all elements of his life. He takes on challenges with the zealous commitment required to be a Champion because true Champions, like Ricardo, do not work towards a triumph of a lifetime, but towards a lifetime of triumphs.