Ana Paula Connelly

About Ana Paula Connelly

Ana Paula Rodrigues Connelly Henkel, born February 13, 1972, in Lavras, Minas Gerais, is a former Brazilian volleyball competitor and now works as a journalist. Her athletic career saw her compete in four Summer Olympic Games for Brazil. She played indoor volleyball in 1992 and 1996, then transitioned to beach volleyball for the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. During her time with the Brazilian national indoor volleyball team, she achieved victory in three World Grand Prix tournaments and earned accolades in numerous competitions, including a medal at the 1996 Olympics held in the United States and a significant showing at the 1994 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship in Japan. On the sand, she claimed the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour title twice, first in 2003 with Sandra Pires and again in 2008 with Shelda Bede. Following her retirement from volleyball in 2010, Henkel relocated to Los Angeles, California. There, she pursued a bachelor's degree in architecture at UCLA and is currently working towards a master's degree in political science. Known for her conservative perspectives, she contributed a regular column to the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo and became associated with the news outlet Jovem Pan.