In almost forty years of racing and experiences around the world, I have not yet reached this limit. I approached triathlon, and endurance sports in general, from the age of 17, and I never stopped.
I started practicing sports in a “more or less” serious and constant way at 17.
There were various triggers in the decision to practice a sport that could first of all shape my character (at the start I had no competitive ambitions),
that was that of a slightly overweight seventeen-year-old, who did not apply himself much in his studies and who in in reality he was not encouraged properly in sports practice; seen as a “waste of time” by an old-fashioned Lucanian family who dreamed of a professional career diametrically opposed to the sporting one for their firstborn.
The Story
Over the years, however, first with the marathons and then with the triathlon and ultra triathlon, I realized that I was succeeding in feats that many considered “impossible”. I myself was aware of not having extraordinary physical and athletic skills, but I managed to complete races of interminable duration (primarily marathons and iron man, then 24 hours of swimming and running, to reach the 14 consecutive days of the deca iron man or expeditions in the Sinai and Himalaya) through good concentration and an almost unshakable determination. The training during the three years of enlistment, as an officer of the Folgore paratroopers, did the rest. In 2006 I had the pleasure and honor of collaborating with the CNR of Pisa, Institute of Clinical Physiology, in a study on the physiological changes of my body subjected to hyperbolic and prolonged efforts in extreme conditions (Sinai desert, Everest, hyperbaric chamber) . The study protocol lasted three years, at the end of which the response was almost banal; at least for me. That is: my physical and athletic skills and my physiological parameters were below those of a poor level athlete. What instead appeared “peculiar” was my brain activity during sleep, my ability to concentrate, an unshakable determination and a predisposition to positive thinking and optimism. All factors that allowed me to achieve sporting feats of a certain level and to transfer these “talents” of mine to my professional activity and social and relational life. I was aware of my athletic and performance limits, but at the same time I was able to overcome them with great determination, concentration and willpower. I have run over three hundred Ironman distances and accomplished various solo feats: desert, ice, sea and lakes. I realized I had an edge. Not on a physical level, but on a mental level.
The Brand – What is the limit?
So I decided to create the “brand” “What Is the Limit” which deals with personal growth through sport: – extreme competitions to overcome one’s limits
– training courses on mental training in sports practice
– training camps – summer camps for children and teenagers where we teach them the importance of training (physical and mental) and correct nutrition in sports practice
– seminars and corporate training courses on coaching and NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) to achieve professional and personal goals
“You can only convey emotions that you have already experienced”
