From the Beach to the Snow, Nothing is Impossible

My name is Riccardo Balestrieri, from the Special Olympics "New Athletic Formia team".  In Naples, where I was born, it was difficult to do sports or to go out alone, so, my family and I moved to Formia, on the seaside. I am 20 years old.  I love to travel, and so I chose to study at a Vocational School in Tourism and Catering.  I am engaged to Emanuela.  My fiancée is from Naples, and I hope she too will become an athlete.

I have been with Special Olympics since 2003 and competed in athletics, swimming and football events.  It gives me good feeling and a lot of happiness even if I do not come first.  Special Olympics changed my life because now I am now more self-confident, I take good care of my body through sport and I met lots of friends of different ages.  With my friends with whom I play football, eat pizza, go to the cinema, and sometimes go to dance. 

In 2006 I wanted to start winter sports, everybody thought “From sand to snow… it is Mission Impossible!”  … But I proved them wrong: I did well at a number of snowshoeing competitions, and... I just came back from competing at the World Games in the US!  I would like to share with everyone the pride and happiness it gave me to be on the Italian delegation, to travel on the plane.  I have improved my life through success but also through the defeats I had.  When I was young, my mother told me that my muscles were too soft. Now I showed her that sports made them stronger:  I  can win competitions in swimming, jumping and running, not only on the tracks but on snow too! ...This is the biggest challenge I won.

Football is my favourite sport: GO, Naples! I read the sports section in Formia’s newspaper every day.  I would love to meet Fabio Cannavaro (Italian football player), play football with him and tell him about Special Olympics.

 

Riccardo Balestrieri