In Monza a solidarity circuit, the 12 hours by bike (also for others) – Corriere.it

A 12-hour party to tell the emotions and strength of sport. Saturday 15th October the Monza12H Cycling Marathon illuminated the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza with over 230 athletes engaged in an intense day of solidarity on two wheels. The seventh edition of the FollowYourPassion race saw the teams as protagonists who faced each other in a challenge that went far beyond the simple kilometers covered on the track.

XSport Challenge Team

At the start of the race started at 12 on Saturday the team led by Jury Chechi and linked to the XSport Challenge charity project. The Olympic gold medal in Atlanta 1996 went from rings to bikes to support fundraising for the Dynamo Camp non-profit organization in Pistoia, which offers free recreational programs to children and adolescents suffering from chronic diseases in therapy or in the post-hospitalization period, also involving their families. The Ganten Monza12h Cycling Marathon was the final stage of a challenge around Italy that began 6 months ago and which involved several athletes: «We are tired, but very happy – says Jury Chechi -. The goal was to replicate last year’s figure of 10 thousand euros by participating in granfondo and stages of preparation. To finish in a place as unique as Monza, which perfectly embodies the team spirit, is wonderful. I admit that there were some moments, especially some climbs, in which the fatigue was felt more. But thinking about the work that the volunteers involved in Dynamo Camp do every day, for the children and their families, you feel that those feelings you feel are only a small part. Helping these realities is good not only for them, but also for ourselves ». A work that never stops and that “The Lord of the Rings” hopes to continue by setting an example: “It is important to remember that there are many, many realities in the area that live with the help of funding, initiatives and activities like this one. . Everyone’s help is precious and serves to keep them in the light ».

Parkinsonauti Team

From an obstacle to a springboard on which to climb to go far, the disease does not slow down, but pushes and spurs. In the Monza pits thanks to the association’s team Parkinson & Sport, led by president Stefano Ghidotti, the “bad luck has turned into a challenge”. Engaged on the track of the Autodrome, the Parkinsonauti Team wanted to demonstrate once again how finding a balance is possible. «Being together and sharing a path, a struggle, allows you to overcome what Parkinson’s does in everyday life, try to stop yourself – explains Ghidotti -. Having the constant example of people representing your future and moving forward is a boost. Parkinson’s is a disease often associated with the old, while through sport we want to talk to young people who even more than others find it difficult to accept a diagnosis like that of Parkinson’s. We give it a different focus, a different future, putting ourselves on the line in the first person ». After a rehabilitation hospitalization, Daniela Ricciardini, the only female member of the team present in Monza has found in the Parkinsonauts that positive vision that is often lacking in the departments and structures. «I have always been very sporty and despite giving myself goals, I have never been obsessed with the result. I was able to listen to myself, my needs and in a race like Monza it is important to know how to adapt them to those of the group to get to the bottom together ». Finding that complicity and understanding is the extra stimulus when difficulties and fatigue begin to weigh. “Medicines for Parkinson’s are taken by mouth and have different effects depending on what you eat or drink – he explains Marco Ramelli, member of the team – understanding when to take a food, knowing when the tablet takes effect or begins to diminish are even more important aspects for us in managing a race. Sometimes you know that you can get stuck and you need time to leave, but sharing these moments is also essential to move forward ».