Sofia Marchesini
SIERRA NEVADA – Aged 23, Sofia Marchesini is currently studying architecture at the Polytechnic University of Turin. A native of Verona, Veneto, a few dozen kilometres from Trentino, Sofia participates in her first Winter Universiade as an athlete in freestyle skiing (slope style).
But Sofia was not venturing into the unknown. Indeed, she was already present in 2013 in Trentino for the Winter Universiade … as a reporter. As a journalist, she covered the freestyle competitions (interviews, photos, tournament reports) for two Italian magazines: http://www.4skiers.it/ and http://www.neveitalia.it/. “After covering the Universiade as a journalist, now I am one of the participants. Having worked as a reporter, my Trentino experience is now very useful to me because I feel more confident with the athletes. In addition, I learn a lot about the conduct of a competition. It is even better from the inside.”
Coming to Granada, Sofia’s main objective was to have fun, “I’m not focused on the result. But, if I reach the final, it would give me a great reward”, she adds. True, Sofia, who trains mostly in Sestriere participates here in her first FIS competition and usually competes in regional competitions in the region of Trentino-Alto Adige and Italian Championships.
After studying architecture, Sofia is planning to embark on snow parks construction, as there aren’t many in Italy. She also follows a ski instructor training. Her ultimate goal: organize freestyle ski events and develop the sport in Italy. “Currently, very few people practice freestyle skiing in Italy. I sincerely hope it will grow in the coming years”, the student-athlete explains.
But what appeals most to Sofia, is the atmosphere between the competitors: “At the Universiade, I met people from all over the world and from different sports. It’s really great”, Sofia ends.
David Vandenplas, Media Assistant – Photos: Yvan Dufour