«I’m out of breath, good downhill»

A crowd in front of the church of San Lorenzo in Giaveno welcomed the coffin of Matilde Lorenzi, the promising young Italian skier who died at just 19 years old in a training accident in Alto Adige, on the glaciers of Val Senales. The church is full of people. In the front row is the maternal grandmother of ‘Matildina’, as friends and relatives called her, grandmother Rosina: «The Lord has taken a wonder away from us», she says in tears. Friends and ordinary citizens came to pay homage to the young athlete. There are the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, and the Undersecretary of Defense with responsibility for the promotion and coordination of military sports activities, Isabella Rauti, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army Salvatore Camporeale and the commander of the Alpine troops Michele I laughed. The representatives of the Army with which Matilde was registered. On a cushion, near the coffin, is his Alpine hat. The tearful 19-year-old’s mother, father, brothers and boyfriend embrace each other in front of the coffin, on which there is a cushion of red and white roses, before it is carried into the church. There are many young people, many wearing the tracksuits of the various sports clubs. On his arm is a band with Matilde’s name. The funeral will be celebrated by Monsignor Alessandro Giraudo, auxiliary bishop of Turin. Citizen mourning in the town which has around 17 thousand inhabitants.

The words of the parents

«You wanted to arrive in a hurry, on November 15, 2004: you were born quickly and now you decided to leave in a hurry.

I just want to thank you, because dad and I were lucky enough to have been chosen by you as parents.” These are the words pronounced by Matilde Lorenzi’s mother, Elena, at the funeral in Giaveno (Turin) of her young daughter, who died at the age of 19 due to a training accident in Alto Adige, with the national junior ski team of which she was a member. «You were reserved – continued the mother, still addressing her daughter in church – you opened up calmly, you gave us so much. We are grateful to you. You have to keep skiing where you are. I adore you. Thanks Matilde.” Father Adolfo returned to talk about the project to increase safety on the slopes, as he did from the first moments after the accident. «Matilde with her passing – he reiterated – called us to do hard work, which will have to be done by everyone, together. This is why we will knock on all doors. The project we will carry forward will keep it alive for all of us.” And the poster with the details for the project was released on this very day in the village.

Matilde Lorenzi, her boyfriend Federico Tomasoni and the last photo in hospital: «You are the most beautiful thing that could have happened to me»

Sister’s letter

«You leave us an immense, devastating void, I’ve been out of breath since Monday. I’m sure that you will be the one to guide me in my choices. I am immensely grateful to have had you as a sister. Happy downhill descent Matildina”, said Matilde Lorenzi’s sister, Lucrezia, in tears, who read a letter during the funeral.

The Alpine Prayer

The funeral concluded with the prayer of the Alpine soldier, the notes of military silence played by a trumpet and the blessing of the auxiliary bishop of Turin Alessandro Giraudo. An emotional crowd inside the church of San Lorenzo, in Giaveno, in the Turin area, embraced the family of “Matildina”, as she was nicknamed, as they left the church. The coffin, covered by the tricolor, by a cushion of red roses and white Lisianthus and by the alpine hat of the skier who competed for the Army sports centre, came out amidst very long applause and tears. Among the benches were the Minister for Sport, Andrea Abodi, the Undersecretary of Defense, Isabella Rauti, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army Salvatore Camporeale and the commander of the Alpine troops Michele Risi. Next to the altar, on the ground, a ski with the name of Matile, together with the banners and pennants of the Alpini associations. Among the wreaths of flowers that of the Minister of Defense, the Chief of Staff of the Army, the Chief of Defense Staff, of the Piedmont Region. The applause also continued outside the church, where pickets from various Alpine associations were waiting.

Fundraising

A poster has been released for the safety project on the ski slopes in memory of Matilde Lorenzi, the Piedmontese skier of the junior national team who died after an accident in Alto Adige. With the slogan #Matildina4safety and a photo of her from the race, the «Fundraiser: more safety on the track» was launched, which the girl’s father, Alfonso, immediately announced he wanted to open. Just this morning in Giaveno (Turin), the athlete’s funeral is scheduled. On the poster, which is also distributed on social media, we read: «With your contribution, we can travel a new path, in memory of Mati. Your word of mouth will make the difference.” Next to it are the bank details and how to contribute. Details are found in four sections. The project is explained like this: «The family is launching a fundraiser for the development of individual safety systems for alpine skiing, through research into new technologies to raise the safety level of athletes». We’re talking about equipment: «Targeted interventions on helmets and neck and head protection systems, to reduce trauma and impacts to the chest, trunk and belly (airbag) and anti-cut protection». Regarding collaborations we read: «With the involvement of leading companies in the sector, with universities and the world of research and consultancy with healthcare facilities». Regarding the funds, the flyer says: «The first capital raised will be used to identify and bring together interested companies and stakeholders for the development of new prototypes of security systems. In a second phase, assignment of the production and marketing of the equipment.”