The latest additions to our school’s team of successful athletes are brothers , in Year 11 and Year 12 respectively at the Language Sixth Form College.
Francesco won the gold medal at the Italian Canoe Marathon Championships in San Giorgio di Nogaro. Francesco and Guido. His brother Guido, meanwhile, won the bronze medal.
This is not Francesco’s first major achievement, but his fifth gold medal in the men’s C2.
We at the Junior Giornalino interviewed him:
Hello, nice to meet you. Please introduce yourself to our readers.
Hello, I’m Francesco C., I’m 16 years old, I’m in my second year at Vittorio High School and I compete in canoeing.
How do you feel following this important victory?
I feel very satisfied, of course. But above all, I think I’ll be able to achieve similar results for the rest of the season, given that it’s only just begun.
How do you manage to balance school with practising this sport at a competitive level?
Balancing school and sport is very difficult, though fortunately the PDP has made it easier recently. I think it requires a huge amount of commitment from the student-athlete. Paying close attention in class and trying to save as much time as possible so that you don’t have to study as much at home.
What has sport taught you that you apply at school?
Above all, sport has taught me to show respect – whether to an opponent, a teacher or anyone else. It has also taught me that to achieve a goal, you have to make sacrifices: for example, in sport you need to train, and at school you need to pay attention and participate in lessons.
How did you get into canoeing?
In 2020, during the Covid pandemic, because it was the only sport I could do outdoors without a mask. I used to play basketball, but that meant getting a swab test every two weeks, and I wasn’t really keen on that. So I gave canoeing a go and immediately fell in love with the sport.
Are you competitive with your brother?
I’m competitive for his own good. In fact, I always encourage him to train with me and try to keep up with me. Obviously, I wish him all the best!