A new chapter for Maria Centracchio
Maria Centracchio, the Isernina judoka who won the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, has announced her retirement from competitive sport. Three years after her last competition, the champion decided to embark on a new path, dedicating herself to the training of young judo athletes.
In a post on his social channels, Centracchio explained his decision, underlining his continued passion for judo and his desire to continue making his contribution to the discipline. “It’s been a while, three years to be exact, since my last time on the competition tatami – he recalled in the post -, three years since I realized my biggest dream, leaving Tokyo with an Olympic medal at neck. From that moment on, many things have taken a different shape: among these, judo has always remained my passion and my main goal, but the way of experiencing it has changed.”
A new goal: helping others grow
Centracchio explained that his new goal is to help other athletes achieve their goals by providing them with the tools to grow and improve. “I continue to want to achieve something important through judo – he added – but something less tangible, less evident. It’s not about titles or medals, it’s not about me personally: it’s about seeing the happy and satisfied eyes of an athlete who makes progress, grows and reaches his goals, also thanks to my help; to know that you are a point of reference for those who want to reach the top; to provide these people with those things that I have missed and that I have learned to find and manage on my own”.
A message of hope for young people
In his message, Centracchio also addressed a message of trust and hope to young athletes. “As an athlete I learned that the only people we need to convince of our worth are ourselves, that working with heart and intelligence, sooner or later, always brings something good and that facts speak better than anything; so, always with the facts, I hope to build something beautiful for the path to come.”
A bright future for Maria Centracchio
Maria Centracchio’s retirement from competitive sport represents the end of an important chapter in her career, but opens the doors to a new and stimulating path. Her experience and her passion for judo will be invaluable for the young athletes who rely on her, and her dedication to training will certainly be a positive factor for the future of Italian judo.
A new beginning with a clear goal
Maria Centracchio’s decision to retire from competitive sport and dedicate herself to training is an example of how passion for sport can find new expressions. Her experience and knowledge of judo will be invaluable for the young athletes who rely on her, and her dedication to training will certainly be a positive factor for the future of Italian judo. His goal of helping others achieve their goals is an example of how sport can be a vehicle for personal and collective growth.
