You recently graduated with a Bachelor’s degree at Luiss and decided to continue your studies here for a Master’s degree. What led you to choose Luiss?

I attended a French high school in Rome and during those years, I also started practicing athletics by joining a sports group. Once I graduated from high school, I didn’t want to stop studying partly because I’ve always liked it and because I’ve always thought that it was best to have a backup plan for my future.

At present, my days revolve around athletic training. It’s always handy to have more advanced training that could open new opportunities tomorrow.

When learned about the Dual Career program at Luiss and its benefits, I decided to enroll and pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Business. Despite my many commitments to sports practice, I managed to graduate in three years and am now continuing on this path at Luiss with an English-taught Master’s Degree in Management.

Macroeconomics was one of my favorite exams. But I chose to complete my thesis in Commercial Law, which is perhaps an unusual choice for someone studying economics. It was the passion for the subject that my professor conveyed that greatly influenced my choice.

The title of my thesis is “Virtual assets’  regulation in the United States: SEC v. Ripple, the cryptocurrency trial of the century.” I believe that the topic of cryptocurrencies is current and still unexplored in academic contexts. I wanted to take the opportunity to explore it further.

Balancing your training and study must not be easy. How do you manage both?

It takes a lot of organization and willpower to study. Thankfully, Luiss tutors are a great help and support system, acting as a liaison between us and professors, and ensuring that they are aware of our sport commitments. They help professors understand that we are very busy with competitions and training, and consequently, we cannot attend all classes. My days revolve around trainings which I am currently doing twice a day. On top of that, we go to doctor’s visits, physiotherapy, sessions with the nutritionist and the mental coach. Therefore, it is very difficult to find time to attend classes. In my experience, professors have shown me to be very understanding, and some of them are also interested in my competitions.

Especially in this post-covid phase where face-to-face classes are resumed, the program designed by Luiss allows me to organize my studies as best I can and be followed by a tutor, which is invaluable to me who provided support in choosing exams and liaising with professors to explain my circumstances.

Having the university’s support is crucial as we athletes are very busy. Luiss recognizes this and meets our needs from an institutional point of view. It is the only university in Italy that offers this opportunity.

Up until a few years ago, people thought that athletes could not study. They had to think about sports and that was it. Now, there is a lot of attention on this issue. These programs create positive enabling environments in which pursuing studies is seen as a springboard to new possibilities that go beyond sports. In addition to providing high-quality expertise, Luiss also allows you to establish contacts that can help you enter the world of work in the future.

We certainly have a well-established career as athletes, but there comes an age around 30-35 when you retire. At that point, it will be crucial to know how to fit into a work context beyond sports.

You are very determined and clear-minded about your education and career in sports. Have you ever thought about what you would like to do in the future when you stop competing or is it still early?

I’ve thought about it many times, but I don’t have a definite answer yet. At this stage of my life, I am very much focused on training and my athletic goals. I try to focus and channel my energy into doing these two things well: my training and sport.

I aim to improve every year and reach my limits of athletic potential. I dream of the five rings of the Olympics, but for the future, I am trying to keep as many doors open and I will decide when the time comes. I hope that my Master’s Degree will also help me understand what I like and don’t like in order to be ready.

Written by Redazione Connect.