Interview with the women's national team of Rhythmic Gymnastics The "Farfalle Azzurre" team talks about passion for sports and the goal of the 2021 Olympics
The Italian National Rhythmic Gymnastics “Le Farfalle” is made up of 10 talented, very young and passionate girls. Their life is marked by training for 11 months a year, competitions, athletic training and physiotherapy. They face all this with an incredible passion, but above all by supporting and encouraging each other, not just as a sports team, but like sisters.
The team represents the uniqueness of Italy in the world, and is made up of girls with a strong personality and a lot of ambition. While not yet having the same media coverage as other sports, Rhythmic Gymnastics is becoming more and more popular.
The increasing following is due to different factors: first of all thanks to the results obtained by the team and the dedication of the coach, our Emanuela Maccarani, secondly thanks to the TVs and sponsors, who bring visibility to the whole movement. I am really happy that the media are telling the world of rhythmic gymnastics with greater continuity, as I believe it is a discipline rich in ideas both from a technical and a human point of view. - explains athlete Martina Santandrea.
How did your passion for sport begin, in particular for rhythmic gymnastics?
Martina Centofanti, 22 years-old, Rome
The passion for this sport came almost by chance. Before starting this path, we all practiced other sports: for example, I started with swimming and then I moved on to ballet. I discovered gymnastics watching the World Cup on television and since then the passion has never faded. For me, passion is the key, the engine of a discipline that leads us to stay together, train and prepare ourselves every day.
How does a typical day look like during training periods?
Agnese Duranti, 19 years-old, Spoleto
During the year we all live in Desio. Every morning at 7am we have breakfast, and then we reach the gym where we start the training session at 8.15. First the warm-up and physical preparation, then we dedicate an hour and a half to ballet, and then we practice with the gymnastic tools. After lunch and an hour off, we have a second training session until 6pm. For four days a week we have physiotherapy, and after dinner, we can dedicate to our passions.
Why is there still little media resonance of this sport? Is there a disparity in the way women's and men's sports are told and followed by media and society?
Martina Santandrea, 20 years-old, Bentivoglio
I believe that, compared to other sports, there is still a strong disparity; but compared to the past, Rhythmic Gymnastics is becoming more and more popular, as demonstrated by the growth of gyms and young girls who decide to approach this discipline. This happens first of all thanks to the results obtained by the team and the dedication of our coach, and secondly thanks to the TVs and sponsors that bring visibility.
In a moment of high tension like a competition, what role do make-up and clothing play? Can comfort help the performance in any way?
Letizia Cicconcelli, 20 years-old, Fabriano
The make-up as well as a good chignon make us feel safer on the platform, and the bodysuit is like a second skin. These elements are very important because they enrich and complete the artistic component and the narration of this wonderful sport, entirely dedicated to women and their femininity.
What is the advice you would give to young people who approach a sport, at a competitive level and not?
Martina Santandrea, 20 years-old, Bentivoglio
To get results in this sport it is necessary to keep the passion alive. It is a discipline that requires sacrifices and a radical change in your lifestyle. You have to take into account the possibility of giving up trips, summer holidays, parties. This sport takes something away from you to give you intense emotions in exchange, unbelievable for those who never practiced it. For example, I am an only child and I can say that this sport gave me nine sisters.
Coronavirus had a huge impact on the world of sports. What does it mean to train for such an important goal as the Olympics, and then seeing your dream postponed to a year later?
Martina Centofanti, 22 years-old, Roma
Undoubtedly, Coronavirus has impacted everyone, including athletes. The Olympics are the the goal of a four-year work. At the beginning, it was not easy to elaborate the news of the postponement of the Games to 2021: there are those who reacted well and those who did not. Also in this case, being a team saved us, we immediately sat down to confront each other and to find the positive aspects of this unexpected turning point: we will have more time to improve extremely complex exercises with a very high technical value, but above all we have ahead of us another year to spend together.
