Paralympic, Giuseppe Romele, from Olympic bronze in cross-country skiing to paratriathlon: “Paris 2024? Never say never …”

There are those who are never satisfied, those who always push the limits, trying to achieve excellence in everything they do. Giuseppe Romele is proof of this. The beginning in athletics, the great successes in the pool and then the crowning of the Olympic dream with the bronze in Nordic skiing at the Beijing 2022 Paralympics. A break? Not at all! The 30-year-old from Pisogne, a village of almost 9,000 inhabitants on the shores of Lake Iseo, once returned from China immediately got back to work, but this time in a new discipline: paratriathlon. And last weekend he already collected his first success: second place in the Pvt2 category and third in the general classification at the Italian Championships in Marina Di Massa. A result that rightfully places it among the promises of the future in this discipline. And who knows that before an encore at the Winter Paralympics there might not be a trip to Paris… 2024.

Giuseppe, as they say, good the first!
“It was incredible: 750 m of swimming, 20 km of hand bike category H4 and 5 km of push wheelchair in 59 min and 32 seconds. I never imagined doing such a time.”

A new experience to remember …
“It was all wonderful and for this I have to thank the 226 Vallecamonica with which I am registered for the paratriathlon. The president Sergio Pezzotti and the companion Roberto Filippi followed me from A to Z, helping me in everything”.

How did you approach the paratriathlon?

“I’ve always had the curiosity to try, it’s a discipline that I really like. About a month ago the national paratriathlon team (Fitri) was in Darfo Boario Terme for a retreat, I know the coach Mario Poletti very well because he followed me when I decided to participate in the Berlin marathon in 2018 and 2019. Being a very good friend of Angelo Martinoli of the Polisportiva Disabili Vallecamonica, of which I have been a member for years, I had the opportunity to train with the Azzurri and I took it at flight”.

And how did you prepare for the Italians?

“Once I returned from China I never stopped. Apart from a week of relaxation, I immediately resumed dedicating myself to diversified activities: the push wheelchair, the handbike, and swimming in the pool. Precisely the three specialties of paratriathlon. And I realized that the times were not bad at all… “.

So should we expect a change of discipline?

“Nordic skiing remains my main goal. I will continue with a thousand on that because I do not want to settle for the Olympic bronze, I aim even higher. But if we manage to match the Nordic sector with the triathlon sector, a really good project could be born. … “.

And maybe then we’ll see you at the Paris 2024 Paralympics …

“Time to time. Now there will be other appointments with the paratriathlon and I will definitely participate. If things continue as they started … never say never”.