Silvia Valsecchi told us how dedication and sacrifice have led to making her passion the path of her life, as a professional cyclist. The strength and the charge, starting from Costa Masnaga, have made her travel the world…
What do you feel when you get on your bike?
The bike gives me that sense of freedom and independence that I don’t feel otherwise. Without a bicycle, I feel connected to the car, traffic, public transport timetables etc.
Do you remember the exact moment when you realized you could change direction in your sports career?
Sure. It was a winter and I almost wanted to stop cycling. I was in the stands of a velodrome and I was watching a race, when I felt a great pleasure and energy that came to me from what I was watching. At that point, I was given the opportunity to try, to continue training all winter, doing track activities. I tried it, I gave my all, and the results came.
The sensations of the first victory on the track?
The first win was during an individual pursuit, so I was running alone. it was an immense joy and a new awareness: usually when you win as a team you share joys and sorrows. Winning by running alone gave me the wonderful feeling of having made it only with my energy, thanks to the sacrifices and training made.
How do you charge yourself before a race?
I have no particular rituals. The day before the race I usually want to be quiet and have fun. An hour before the competition, on the other hand, I like to be alone, and if I know the route I will mentally retrace it, focusing on its characteristics.
You told us that you are involved in social projects related to your work, dedicated in particular to the values of sporting solidarity in the field of women’s sport. What do you still think can change in the world of sport in ethical terms?
I believe that the path undertaken by various amateur-sports associations is bearing fruit: many sports realities are being created dedicated to younger children, on which all energies must necessarily be focused. I see a lot of dispersion in the world of youth sport, so it’s important that the focus is on this segment. Perhaps the reasons for so many abandonment of sports careers can also be found in a cultural discourse linked to road safety: many parents are afraid to leave their children free today to cycle around the city, compared to my times it seems to me there is a greater apprehension. For this reason, perhaps greater awareness and respect for the rules of the road, and perhaps the organization for children of training on protected paths, could help to bring even the youngest to this sport. Let us remember that cycling is not just a sport but first and foremost a lifestyle.
A message to someone like you who has understood that they can change course?
I want to tell everyone, whatever their area of expertise and desired, that it is never too late to change and test themselves. I changed my career at 32 and in sport this is an age where you think the game is over. It is not so.
“Change” for you is …
Letting go of certainties to embark on a path that at that moment transmits energy to us, beyond the fear of losing the certainties acquired.
