«I had the stalker arrested, we must all have courage»- Corriere.it

Alessia Orro arrives with Palma in her arms. The Labrador puppy is three months old and has been with her for a few weeks. She wants to play, she puts her muzzle in her bag looking for who knows what: «She is now the team’s mascot». The captain and setter of Vero Volley (and of the national team) will make her debut tonight in Milan, the club’s new home from next season. «We are aiming for the semi-final of the Champions League and the final for the Scudetto» she immediately makes it clear in no uncertain terms. Determination and courage (“and stubbornness”, she adds) are not lacking. On and off the pitch. “Life has taught me that you have to choose carefully who to surround yourself with: now I only let those I trust unconditionally into my world”.

Who do you trust?

“My family, which I miss so much. And some real friends, almost all from the world of volleyball».

It’s a choice?

«It is not easy to establish disinterested relationships when you become a public figure. Volleyball is my world, in the locker room and on the pitch it’s easier to really get to know each other. And then I became more cautious and wary because of what I’ve been through in recent years. Now it takes me longer to trust people.”

You denounced and arrested the man who twice persecuted you. So many women struggle to find the same strength as her.
«I have found it in the people who love me, but above all within me. And I hope my story can help someone. In these cases, words are of little use. Examples give you courage. “If Alessia could do it, I can do it too”. I hope that some women can find the strength to react in this way ».

Have many written to you in recent months?

«Many girls, but also a boy. Some made it, some still didn’t. I advised them to talk to a loved one. To seek courage deep within one’s soul. I held on, I didn’t give up even when it was all dark around me. Now I am happy”.

How much has it changed?

“Very, very much. Before I was a girl always with my head in the clouds, instinctive, I didn’t think about the consequences of my actions. Now I’m more mature, rational, more careful in relationships and I need more time to really open up”.

But he found love.

«The story with Luciano (De Cecco, setter of Lube Civitanova champion of Italy and of Argentina Olympic bronze, ed) started a year and a half ago. We tried to keep it to ourselves for a while, but it was now an open secret. On New Year’s Eve we made it public. We are a beautiful couple.”

Is seeing each other complicated?

“It’s sudoku, especially these days. But we have found our balance. However, this is an important issue. Between summer and winter, I haven’t stopped for 11 years. We cannot go on like this: we are athletes, not robots».

Explain yourself better.
«After returning from the World Cup, I rested for two days. Then I went back on the field because the championship started immediately. We played every three days. Then the Champions League. And in the spring we start again with the national team: Nations League, European, Olympic qualification. There is no time to recover physical and mental energies».

And do we end up bursting like Egonu who asked for a break?

“I understand Paula. It is no coincidence that injuries are increasing in recent years. It is suicidal for a player to continue at this pace. We have tried to make our voices heard but they are not listening to us. Maybe only when someone gives up on the national team will we realize that it’s time to pull the brakes. Paradoxically, the months of lockdown have been my physical rebirth. Then, however, full stop».

Do you manage to carve out a few moments for yourself every now and then?

«I’ll try: I take a walk with Palma, insert the appointments postponed when I was in the national team, watch some TV series. The last time I went shopping was over two months ago.’

Do social networks help or are they a burden?

«I would start by making a distinction: I stay as far away from Facebook as possible because it has become the ‘dirtiest’ and full of people who seem to be dying to hurt you. During competitions I delete the app. Instagram is different, also because the average user is younger. But there are those, like Miriam Sylla, the captain of the national team, who delete all social networks when she is focused on a tournament».

Who is Sylla for you?

«A special person, crystalline, without masks. One of those you can trust with your eyes closed. We always go back there: I’ve learned that trust is the pillar of any relationship. I have no doubts about her.”

Is it hard being her?

«A little yes (smiles, ed). There are many commitments, pure pressures and little time for oneself. From the outside you see only one side of the coin. Even my friends make fun of me: “You’re famous, you earn well…”. And all the sacrifices? I left home when I was 14. While they went out, I was studying or at the gym training. Not everyone succeeds. But I’m stubborn. I wouldn’t be Sardinian otherwise. And now I have a commitment to this club that has given me so much: I want to win.”