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We asked Sofia Montagna what it means for a woman to devote herself to a sports career

"If you really care about one thing, you can find the way and the time to do it"

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Sofia Montagna is a rising star in the sports world. Heptathlete, with a passion for the world of food and diving, told us what eptathlon is, how her body reacted to the stop of training during the lockdown and what it means for a woman to dedicate to the sports career.

How did you get close to the heptathlon?

I approached heptathlon in a completely natural way, there was never a clear decision. As a child, you start to approach athletics, they make you try all the disciplines, so as to develop all the motor skills, and then select the most suitable for you only at a more mature age. I started with everything for fun, and I continued to practice all the disciplines because, in principle, I was good at it. With the time I started to devote myself to multiple tests, thanks to my coach, who saw in me as a child a possible heptathlete.

 
 
 
 
 
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Io molto disappointed dopo un nullo, ma quanto mi mancano queste sensazioni 🤍 #race #trackandfield #heptathlon #longjump #trowback #tb

Un post condiviso da Sofia Montagna (@sofiamontagna) in data:

What do you like most about this discipline and why this one?

Heptathlon is a very tiring discipline, but the commitment that requires preparing seven disciplines so different from each other is directly proportional to the satisfactions and emotions that makes you feel. It’s a race that takes place in two days, in which you live the competition 100%, from disappointments to satisfactions, in which you have to keep your mind clear by erasing the mistakes made in the previous race and going forward with the right determination. We must know how to manage not only physical energies but above all mental ones.

How do you reconcile your life as an athlete with the rest of your daily commitments, what’s the trick?

Reconciling competitive sport with daily commitments is absolutely possible, just organize. Having attended the classical high school I immediately learned to optimize my time, dividing it between study and sport: I like to study! At the heart of it all is willpower: if you really care about one thing, you can find the way and the time to do it. Of course this involves choices, which I do not define sacrifices or renunciations: I decide on Saturday night not to go out if I have a race in the morning, without regrets…

 
 
 
 
 
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Cercando un nuovo equilibrio in queste giornate diverse 🧘‍♀️ E l’allenamento mi aiuta sicuramente! Nelle storie un workout veloce ma super efficace 💪🏻

Un post condiviso da Sofia Montagna (@sofiamontagna) in data:

What was your typical training during quarantine and your body’s post-lockdown reaction?

As soon as I hit the lockdown I admit I went a bit ‘in crisis, no longer having certainty about training and future competitions.

I gave myself a very definite routine, because, being accustomed to doing many things all together, I sensed it would be hard to spend the days at home without anything established. I’m a very methodical and super-framed person. When I was able to get back on track it was really a release, I was waiting for nothing else. Of course the recovery was gradual, but the feeling after a few days was that I had never stopped training.

Your IG profile is very cool and contains many different passions. What do you like to do in your free time?

Thank you! One of my greatest passions is cooking. Good, healthy and functional dishes for my workouts. I like to experiment with particular and alternative ingredients and recipes, but I also like to discover new restaurants and kitchens: in short, the world of food intrigues me a lot!

I have three dogs and I love spending time with them, walking and trips to discover new places. I love to travel, organizing of course super detailed every stage of the trip (I said I was a bit of a maniac of the right organization?).

Another great passion of mine is diving: I have my advanced diving license and it’s my favorite activity in the weeks of rest at sea, after the competitive season.

 
 
 
 
 
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How to get my days better 🥰🍀 love you two #dogs #bordercollies #bordercolliesofinstagram #puppies

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Sport is often seen as a male monopoly. What can be done, as a protagonist, to overturn this stereotype?

Let’s say that sport (and some sports more than others) is often seen as purely masculine. I think that this concept is harmful not only because it does not value the woman herself, but also because it does not encourage young girls to consider the possibility of pursuing a sporting career. We ourselves, as sportsmen, must be spokesmen of this reality, of the satisfactions it gives and try to tell it by our possibilities. Something is moving in recent times, and I hope that we will continue in this direction.

A desire in view of this new year of races and (hopefully) shooting post Covid-19?

Post-lockdown recovery and just before the start of the races, in late July, I suffered an injury, so I had to cancel the races that we had scheduled for the months of August and September. After many months of training it was a hard blow not being able to reap the fruits for which I had worked so hard. This is also part of the game... I’m completing physical exams and checkups so I can resume full-on training for 2021. For luck, I never say my goals, but all the competitive charge that I could not express this year, I will save it for the next year, hoping that things will go well.

 
 
 
 
 
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A new season is just around the corner 🤞🏻🍀 #trackandfield #running #run (abbronzatura imbarazzante sempre presente 🤦🏼‍♀️)

Un post condiviso da Sofia Montagna (@sofiamontagna) in data:

Good luck Sofia!