“Everyone told Me that I couldn’t. And see where I am now!” says Stefano Gregoretti, ultrarunner of Riccione, at the WeFree Days today October 8th, in the San Patrignano community. Agrees Giacobbe Fragomeni, 2008 World champion boxer in the light heavyweight category, at his side at the forum “step by step” where they recounted their experience of life. Two stories of redemption, of two people who started from the bottom, that overcame physical and social problems that have come to redeem themselves and realize their dreams
For Giacobbe Fragomeni boxing was a lifeline his savior “When I was young I was also an addict –said Fragomeni – I was always high, but then, with a past like mine it couldn’t have gone any other way. My sister she was on drugs, my father was gambling and when he came home in the evening, after losing, he beat us all. Often remaining nights without eating dinner, so he took me to beg for handouts”. A burning desire for redemption was born in him after the death of his sister. Moves away from the drug scene and starts going to the gym, where the allure of boing enraptures him. “Boxing is not an outburst of violence, it is a sport disciplines you – continues Fragomeni – I chased it all the way and I finally found my road. In 1990 I was still getting high, in 1992 I was in the national team.Boxing saved my life”. Concludes Fragomeni, recounting some of the stories you can find in his book, “Fino all’ultimo round”.
The students sit and listen silently enraptured by the stories of Giacobbe even when Stefano Gregoretti comes to the stage.
“Man is the most resilient animal on the planet”. Stefano’s statement leaves the audience agape. Gregoretti as an ultra-runner is used to racing in the deserts, canyons, encompassing distances of up to 275 km and is dedicated to training an average of 40 km a day. “Once I reached the finish of a race and the organizers still hadn’t set up the finishing line, with the sponsors banners. I had to ask: do you know where the finish is?”. Gregoretti has brought his experience of life, explaining how sport had helped him to overcome problems with scoliosis. His approach is not like that of most athletes in sport, it’s a little unusual, like running 1000 km in 20 days, with an average of 50km a day, starting from the coast of the Atlantic ocean all the way to diving into the pacific, or the race on the island of Baffin, 150 km in 47 hours on a glacier, dragging a sled of 40 kg, at 51 degrees below zero. “It is important not to think of the difficulties – continues Stefano – But to think about what makes you feel good and on the present. When I lift my head and see a glacier or a desert, I think: This is where I want to be right now”. Stefano also explains o us the project impossible2possible, where by many children around the world begin the sport of ultra-running for free. “Web bring the kids along to do the same things we do, maybe running for a week in the desert, searching in this “pretext” to teach them the value of perseverance”.