Gisele Bündchen made headlines when she was spotted out with her longtime jiu-jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente following her split from ex-husband Tom Brady. First, they were seen together in November following the news that the supermodel and NFL star were breaking up after 13 years of marriage. Then, Bündchen and Valente were out again in January and the internet went into another dive of speculation that they were a little more than just training partners.
Now, new photos of the pair came out this week of the two taking a stroll together in Costa Rica, fueling more interest in the supermodel’s love life. In the pics, Bündchen, 42, was wearing an earthy brown bandeau bikini top twisted in the center with a bow, plus a sarong-style cover-up skirt. Valente was also dressed casually in a navy tee and green shorts.
When the two were first seen together in November, a source told People at the time, “He and his two brothers are Gisele and the kids’ martial arts teachers. They are not dating.”
Valente and his brothers, Pedro and Gu, have been training both the model and her kids, son Benjamin Rein, 12, and daughter Vivian Lake, 9, whom she shares with Brady.
People later reported that a source said, “Gisele adores and trusts [Joaquim] and has been spending a lot of time with him, but I don’t think it’s a traditional dating scenario. They have a deep personal relationship, and he is a teacher to her and the kids. Whether or not it will ever become more than that rests on the table.”
Last year, she thanked the brothers on Instagram and posted a video of herself training in their gym and showing off her jiu-jitsu skills. In the caption she wrote, “I feel stronger, more confidence and empowered since I started practicing self-defense. I feel it’s an important skill for all, but specially for us women.”
In addition to jetting off to Costa Rica, the supermodel has been back to her native Brazil for the holidays and to celebrate Rio de Janeiro Carnival, where she was seen partying with friends and showing off her impressive dance moves.
Most recently, she shared a photo of herself doing yoga on Instagram with an inspiring caption and advice on what to do when life “gets challenging.”
“Being healthy is more than a clean diet and exercise. It’s about our attitudes, emotions, beliefs, thoughts and actions,” she captioned the photo. “When life gets challenging always remember that the sun rises everyday bringing a new opportunity for us to try again and do better. It can get intense out there and we can get easily distracted by the noise. Awareness is key. What energy you are nurturing?” The model added, “Remember, we are the co-creators of our own reality, what we believe we create! 
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Wise words for everyone.
