The Escola de Hotelaria e Turismo do Douro-Lamego (EHTD-L) has professionals of excellence training professionals of excellence, in terms of knowledge, values, ethics, rigour, pride, and excellence, all of which make the difference and set us apart from the rest.

EHTD-L has opened doors for me and supported me in various international adventures that made me grow as a person and a professional. I'd like to thank all the chefs and trainers who have been by my side and accompanied me in all the competitions, directly and indirectly.

In 2019 I participated in the Interescolas competition and won 1st place in the Apprentice Cook category. It marked the beginning of the journey that prepared me for the world of competitions: the pressure, the nerves, the dynamics, and above all, the sharing of knowledge and experience.

Another competition that stood out was the 5th Fish & Cooking, in Aveiro, where I came 3rd in the Cooking Category. It was a competition based solely on fish and regional flavours, which allowed me to create a fusion between traditional and fine dining techniques.

In international terms, I would highlight my participation in the AEHT European competition, which took place in Split in 2019. I won 3rd place in the Culinary Arts Category, which was golden! A competition at the European level in which it was a challenge to work with new people, with different cultures and experiences. It was very enriching, with an enormous spirit of competition, where the desire to stand out is greater, where responsibility and pressure are felt to the full.

The Young Chef Olympiad 2020, was held in India, a country with a different culture new to me. Turismo de Portugal chose me to represent the network of schools and the country for the first time in this international competition with 55 countries. One word: unforgettable! I won the Best Hygienic Practice Award and made the Top 20 in the world for the Plate Trophy. I can say that this was the competition that tested me the most, because of the cultural difference, the responsibility, and above all because it was the first time that Portugal was being represented, I wanted to make a difference, to be able to show everything I knew and achieve a good ranking.

I always carry two mottos: ‘Prizes are won during training’ and ‘We do simple things extraordinarily well!’.