On Sunday 17 November, Kodokan Cuneo participated in the Leini (Turin) stage of the Golden Touran event organized by Alice Bellandi, Olympic judo champion in the -78 kg category. A beautiful day, not only for the opportunity to meet such a prestigious figure in the world of judo, but also for the opportunity to experience and reaffirm the profound values that characterize this discipline: respect, discipline, perseverance and friendship.
Alice Bellandi, who represents an inspiration for young judokas from all over the world, shared training moments, stories of her career and words of encouragement with the kids “… I am very happy to be here with all of you in Leini,” declared the champion during the event “… I too was a white belt like you, then yellow, orange and gradually up to black. It is important to cultivate your dreams and passions. It’s a beautiful thing. At your age, I dreamed just like you.”
Through her stories and her technical demonstrations, Alice conveyed to the children of Kodokan Cuneo the message that with commitment, perseverance and determination every goal is achievable.
“The most beautiful thing about judo,” continued Bellandi, “it’s that it doesn’t matter where you start from. What matters is where you want to go. This sport has taught me so much, and I am happy to be able to share what I have learned with you.”
The Kodokan Cuneo instructors, present at the event, expressed great satisfaction with their participation in the Golden Tour. “For us it was a privilege to be able to be here and live this experience with Alice Bellandi,” said one of the coaches, “…it’s not every day you meet an Olympic champion and listen to her journey. Alice is the perfect example of how judo is not just a sport, but a school of life. He reminded us how important it is to work hard and believe in yourself, values that we try to pass on to our kids every day.”
C.S.
