Irma Testa: ‘Violence against women, let’s not let ourselves be cornered’

With elegance and gracefulness he conquered the world in boxing, a sport that has always been considered the ideal projection of male strength. Irma Testa is the 57 kg world championship gold medalist and one of Italy’s brightest hopes of victory at the Paris Olympics. But she is above all a woman, and also a police officer, therefore a representative of the institutions. Therefore, no one possesses the charisma more than her to break the tragic cloak of gender violence. And in fact she has been the testimonial of various awareness campaigns on the topic, and she fights daily for the rights of the weakest people.

Irma, violence against women is now a social plague.

“We women must never let ourselves be pushed into a corner, let’s start showing solidarity with each other. Let’s not let ourselves be overwhelmed by the fear of not reporting. And to the girls of my generation, who will be future mothers, I say that, when they have sons, they must be determined to teach them respect and understanding of differences.”

What example can come from the most popular athletes?

“Our role is fundamental, not only as faces of promotional campaigns. Our behavior must represent a message of inclusion, not division. And just as we respect our adversary, we must also teach us to respect those who are different from us.”

Do you still meet people who say that boxing is not a sport for women?

“Always, almost daily. But the success of women’s boxing in Italy, the phenomenal growth of the movement, demonstrate that we women are as strong as and more than men, because we have taken an important space in a discipline often permeated by chauvinism. Women can be successful anywhere, even in areas that many believe do not belong to our sensitivity.”

She was the first Italian Olympic medalist in women’s boxing, bronze in Tokyo. Will Paris be the golden days?

“I’m calm, I work to achieve the goals I set for myself. I don’t like talking about medals, but I will dedicate every match in Paris to women who have suffered violence.”

As a world champion, the responsibilities increase.

“Of course, the pressure increases but at the same time having won the world gold gives me the awareness that the path is the right one. And this means serenity.”

The key word in Paris?

“Fun. I will get into the ring to prove my worth by really trying to have fun, without the weight of the prediction. In Rio I was crushed by expectations and failed, in Tokyo it went better but it arrived very tense. Having obtained the qualification a year earlier this time gives me the opportunity to plan without performance anxiety.”

What is your daily life like?

“I would say boring. Out of habit I wake up early and do two workouts a day. The first after breakfast and the second in the afternoon. Between one and the other, the aim is above all to exploit rest. The goal is to arrive in the evening satisfied with what you brought home.”

Is there any athlete you took inspiration from?

“Certainly Roberto Cammarelle, in the national team follows us every day and always has the right advice for everyone. He is a locker room man used to winning and his tips are useful in many respects because he transmits the winning mentality. And then Federica Pellegrini, his journey is to be admired”