Vanessa Ferrari: “I believe in complaints, but don’t demonize gymnastics”

The hearings of the federal prosecutor of Federgymnastics began today in Rome to investigate the cases of abuse, mistreatment and verbal violence reported by former athletes of the National Rhythmics team and beyond. The prosecutor Michele Rossetti listened to the testimonies of Nina Corradini and Anna Basta, the first to tell the insults received during the years of the Academy of Desio, the commissioned structure last Thursday. Also today, the most famous of the Italian gymnasts, the Olympic silver medalist of the artist Vanessa Ferrari, broke the silence to comment on the story on her Instagram profile.

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“I think the time has come to express my thoughts on recent events … – writes the champion from Orzinuovi -. I refused interviews to avoid exploiting my words. When the first news about the complaints appeared, by the Rhythmic and Aerobics gymnasts , I was not surprised at all … Indeed, years ago I wrote a book in which I also talked about some of these aspects. At the dawn of 32 years, of which 25 spent in the world of gymnastics, I want to say that I have lived many positive experiences but also many negatives. Fortunately, during my career I have also experienced some changes in my environment and I am sorry that even today there are places where these horrors occur. I know these aspects perfectly, I have said it several times, like so many others I have experienced food problems on my skin and at the age of 19 they sent me to a clinic in Verona and thanks to the support of experts and after a couple of years of training I managed eng to heal. So I invite anyone who suffers to get help because it is really essential. I also had the opportunity to compare myself with the thoughts of other gymnasts and former gymnasts and I hope that finally we can definitively intervene so that gymnastics, the sport we love, without distinction of sections or levels, is clean. We believe in what has been denounced and we are close to all of you, sport is made up of sacrifices and sacrifices but first of all, before any result, people and their health come. So I appeal to the humanity of people because I think there must be a clear boundary between severity in terms of discipline and wickedness. Having said that I am not looking for culprits and probably deep down people will never change, but by constantly talking about it and promptly denouncing it I hope that we can make those who commit these actions think and choose the best way to act. I conclude by inviting us not to demonize gymnastics, it is not by distancing ourselves from an environment that things change, because gymnastics is a magnificent world albeit complex, so let’s not make it even more difficult, it is up to us to protect it “.