ARTICLES

MY TRAINER:

I am writing to tell a tragedy... The atmosphere around me is like at a funeral, but fortunately nobody is dead. I feel dull, empty, cold, as if was made of ice. But still the summer has been hot and even if we are in September, outside the thermometer stands at 30°C.
It happened all so suddenly! And even if I admit I could have imagined it, I wasn't ready to this news.
Valery, my trainer with whom I spent every day of the last three years, with whom I shared my glories, my sufferings, my pleasures and all the sacrifices, he took an important decision. He is going to the U.S.A, southern of New York, in New Jersey. He is leaving with his wife Olga and his daughter Vittoria. He has left me and the other girls with nothing: without an other coach, without a way to following,... with nobody. "Always remember what I told you..." These were his last words.
He made a mistake. He could have informed us before, to give us the time to find someone that could substitute him, but he isn't changed. He always did what interested him, without being worried too much of the other. This I always have known, but what to do with that?!? I had to accept him for what he was, I had only him... The only way to reach my objectives was following his head, so twisted and scorned. And as he arrived, tomorrow he is going out. I spent with him all working and holiday days, of the last three years and within this time I learned to know him, to understand him, to support him. All added it wasn't very difficult as many people said... I learned to take it easy when he got angry and how to make him smile when he didn't want to. And one day he took this difficult decision... He expected respect from his girls, and we gave him respect, but he, the first one who should give the example, he didn't care of anything and anyone, leaving us lost and lonely. That isn't correct! That isn't fair! But after all, I forgive him. I don't know where I find the force to do it, but I forgive him. Perhaps because I am sure that, around the world, he is not going to find an other girl that is ready to do what I did, like I did. Please believe me, it is not easy to stand this hard blow. He should not have done it. He could have told me by time, but he is a man and the mans make some mistakes. No need to condemn, so between the tears that are moistening the paper where I am writing on, I say: "I FORGIVE YOU!".
I wish him good luck and I hope that, thinking back to his life, thinking to his athletes, our faces paint into his mind, the disconsolate italian girls' faces, girls that they standed his ways of doing things and held on until the end. If this is his decision, let it be. But in my heart, I hope very much that he is not going to forget us, because I am not going to forget him! Never!

An Athlete.