From the judo Olympian to the 1982 world football champion through the queen of foil. Maria Centracchio, Bruno Conti and Valentina Vezzali are three athletes who have marked the history of Italian sport and who have one thing in common: never give up, never stop in the face of difficulties, never throw in the towel despite adversity. And this is true both in sport and in everyday life. The message of this morning’s “Sports Books” event is clear, addressed above all to young people who practice sports, as part of the Trento Sport Festival promoted by Gazzetta dello Sport and Trentino Marketing. Strong and significant are the testimonies of Maria Centracchio, (a bronze that is worth gold at the Tokyo Olympics) and of Bruno Conti (champion of Italy with Rome and protagonist of the world champion Italy in 1982 with Bearzot) interspersed with anecdotes and curiosities told by themselves; while the undersecretary to the presidency of the council of ministers with responsibility for sport and world-class fencer, has entrusted the author of the book Paolo Marabini with his long success story with 56 medals (including Olympic, world and European games) of which 35 gold. Of course, success stories but also of many efforts, of sacrifices, of a lot of commitment and determination that have never failed, not even in the “Moments of glory”, this year’s theme of the Festival.
SPORTS BOOKS FALL SEVEN TIMES, RAISE EIGHT In the photo: Carlo MARTINELLI, Antonio MORICI, Maria CENTRACCHIO Sports Festival Piazza Duomo Trento, 23 September 2022 [
Marco SIMONINI Archivio ufficio stampa Provincia autonoma di Trento]
Maria Centracchio, presented by the journalist Carlo Martinelli with Antonino Morici, author of the book “Fall seven times, get up eight”, is very well recognized in that “girl who never gave up”. Her Olympic bronze conquered in judo on 27 July 2021 in Tokyo is the highest point of a career that began in Isernia (famous, in this regard, the phrase she pronounced after the victory “Molise exists and leads strong”) and built step by step with effort and tenacity. A story, that of Maria, full of falls and climbs with a dream (witnessed in the appointment marked five years earlier on the mobile phone for the Tokyo Olympics) that came true in the unforgettable sporting summer. Desire for redemption, determination and determination are the components of a victory strongly desired to defeat the difficulties linked to an incredible series of injuries, followed by mononucleosis and then by Covid.
A climb that seemed impossible to reach the qualifications of the Japanese Games and therefore the immense joy of a medal that is worth gold. But how can we achieve goals that seem impossible? “By setting goals – he replies calmly – to be rescheduled if they are not achieved. Every time an injury occurs it is a shock, total despair arrives and that sense of disbelief and helplessness that leads to ask you: what do I do now? Since it does not depend. from me I find the strength to organize ideas, draw up a roadmap and start again aiming for the next step. On the mat, in the gym as in the competition, and in life we must never lose hope “. Has your life changed after the Olympic medal? “I changed to get to the medal: I built myself along the way, I regained my confidence and now I can really say that I have become stronger because I do not stop at nothing” she concluded with a smile, underlining the value of a family (father former athlete at international level and then teacher, the brothers Italian champions and at the youth Olympics) “point of reference and strength to which I owe everything”.
And the “story of love towards the family” spoke Bruno Conti, champion of Rome and of the national football team, in presenting his book “A child’s game” written with the young journalist Giammarco Menga. “It is a book for young people – he began – to make them understand never to give up. I was born into a family of seven children, with financial difficulties but with a lot of love: this is the most important thing. We talk about renunciations and of sacrifices, of disappointment when my father said no to those who wanted to take me to play baseball in the United States, of bitter memories for the many missed auditions. Then Roma, the debut in the national team in 1980 against Luxembourg and then the 1982 world championship with a great Enzo Bearzot whom we called dad … “. And he adds with a laugh: “Since I was a boy I had understood that I could not grow in stature but at least with my head yes …” The stories of episodes never revealed, curiosities and anecdotes during the retreats and the matches of the championships reveal a Conti ” which is striking for its simplicity, its everyday life, its essence that go beyond the fabric of a champion both on and off the field “. Before the conclusion, there was no lack of an affectionate memory to his friend Paolo Rossi (he would have turned 66 today) and an invitation to “enhance the nurseries of our teams, so many small talents to grow by teaching them to never give up in front of a small or great difficulty. I did it … “
(gr)
