“La pista di Pietro”, the facility dedicated to Mennea from the recycling of sports material

10 years after the death of Pietro Mennea, the first athletics track dedicated to the former Italian champion and built with a special surface obtained from the recycling of sports waste and work shoes (PPE) was born in Barletta, his hometown. the esosport and back to work projects. A project born in 2009 to combine the passion for sport with the circular economy, thanks to the expertise of ESO Società Benefit in the office waste management sector. The athletics track is 60 meters long, has 6 lanes and is located in the area outside the Giovanni Modugno elementary school in Barletta.

A multi-handed initiative, the result of the meeting of various entrepreneurial and associative realities united by the desire to remember and celebrate Pietro Mennea to keep his memory alive in the hearts of the young athletes who will run on that surface, born from a process of recycling and circular economy. From the crossroads of BASE Protection, in the safety shoe production sector, of the GOGREEN Association, which supports the esosport projects for the construction of sports floors for “La Pista di Pietro”, of the Municipality of Barletta, with the Mayor Cosimo Cannito, of the Pietro Mennea onlus Foundation, of the IPArchimede of Barletta and of ESO Recycling, specialized in the treatment of sports waste and PPE, the idea was born to give life to this important initiative for the territory. “La Pista di Pietro” is also the result of the encounter of other paths, those of Nicolas Meletiou, Paolo Masini, creator of the project, and Manuela Olivieri Mennea, wife of the Olympic champion of the 200 meters dash in Moscow 1980 and holder of the world record for 17 years old, who joined the initiative by donating a pair of Pietro’s running shoes.

A symbolic gesture to testify that, in each track that will be born, there will be a portion of material from the shoes and a part of the dream of this great athlete, a sort of sourdough that will multiply in all the tracks to come. The inauguration of “La Pista di Pietro” is scheduled for Saturday 24 June at 11.30 am preceded by a charity evening for fundraising to be held at the Garden Club of Barletta at 9.00 pm on Thursday 22 June, flanked by a lottery where win autographed shirts from great sports champions. “Sport and circular economy: a winning combination with “La Pista di Pietro” – affirm in unison Nicolas Meletiou, president of the GOGREEN Association and Paolo Masini, creator of the project – and with a high educational value for the new generations. We are happy and honored to be part of this ambitious project that arises from a natural synergy that has been created with the BASE Protection company, the Administration of the Municipality of Barletta and the Mennea Foundation and the IP Archimede Institute. I would like to express my thanks to everyone for believing in the idea and for teaming up to make it happen.”

The Pista di Pietro, born with the treatment and recycling of sports equipment and end-of-life PPE in our plant in Tolentino – says Helga Loessl, CEO ESO Recycling – is the demonstration that together we can build a collaborative future, made up of projects such as this is what the circular economy, solidarity and sport put at the center.” “Peter’s teaching was not only to be better than his contemporaries or predecessors… rather to try to be better than himself. We, sons of his city – said the Councilor for sport Marcello De Gennaro – in a few days we accepted a challenge with ourselves: that of achieving a result that will remember him over time through the “Pista di Pietro”, his home ground favorite game, with his own resourcefulness. “An indelible mark that sculpts the memory of an unforgettable champion, of a great Italian, of an incomparable Barletta native. An athletics track dedicated to Pietro is the most beautiful gift that he, from up there, could give to the students of the Modugno school and to all the young sportsmen of the city who I hope will want to imitate him. An experience to be replicated in all the schools of the city, so that his example can stimulate a healthy enthusiasm in young people.” Ruggiero Mennea also declares.

“The Pista di Pietro is a precious gift for our city; it represents love for the environment, passion for sport, the spirit of collaboration between local and non-local companies; it is proof of the commitment of our governors and the school system in wanting to keep alive the memory of the great Peter to encourage and trigger emulation processes by our children.” Daniela Stolfi General Manager of Base Protection “The Pista di Pietro in a school in Barletta is the most beautiful dream come true. Pietro began his run towards success right from a school in Barletta, initiated into the sport by Professor Alberto Autorino, his physical education teacher. Nowhere else can alchemy reach the magical perfection it has in Barletta: we are in the city that gave birth to Pietro, in a school that is the fundamental institution that allowed Pietro to encounter sport and here it is an athletics track was built which represents the tool that allowed Pietro to find success, first in sport and then in life. I’m sure that this track will have that extra magic that will help the kids turn their dreams into reality, because sport is essential for transmitting those values ​​that are essential for a successful life, and every kid who trains on this track, he will always have to keep in mind the story of Pietro, who started dreaming from Barletta, proving that the impossible does not exist.” Concludes Manuela Olivieri Mennea President of the Pietro Mennea Onlus Foundation.