Top Athletes, Donato Telesca: “My myth was the Hulk, today I dream of a medal in Tokyo”.

To lift 183kg you need strength, talent, stubbornness and decision: qualities that Donato Telesca does not lack. Our Top Athlete has just won the gold medal at the World Cup in Bogota. A student of Economics and Management, he improved his personal best, rising to 7th place in the world ranking. He told us about the emotions he felt in Colombia, his Dual Career and the preparation for the Paralympics in Tokyo.

Donato, when and why did you choose weightlifting? Tell us your story.

I chose weightlifting because it was an activity I had been doing since I was a kid. My myths were the Hulk and Marvel superheroes, figures that created in me the desire to be the strongest. I soon realized that I had something more than the others: I was always the best despite being the smallest. When I was 17, I had my first competition and I started winning. I was immediately called to several competitions, even at national level. Then I started international competitions, winning 8 medals in World Cups, between junior and senior.

The last one a few days ago, accompanied by a jump in the ranking: did you expect this extraordinary result?

I didn’t know if I could do it, but being at the top of my form I thought I could improve my performance and I was hoping for a medal. It was the first competition after a year of stop, which marked me at a psychological level. The first round, in fact, I missed because the tension played a bad trick on me. Luckily, during the lockdown I never stopped training and this allowed me to arrive in the best possible shape.

What were your emotions about returning after the lockdown?

As soon as I got on the bench, I realized how much the removal from competition had disturbed my peace of mind. At first, I appreciated the opportunity to train and improve myself, but then I started to miss the platform. Therefore, as soon as I returned to competition, right from the warm-up, the flame that allowed me to give my best was rekindled in me. Many things, however, have changed with Covid, especially at the organizational level: there is no audience, you can not have relationships with journalists, photographers or have a family member with you.

Sports and university: is it difficult to pursue Dual Career?

Definitely not easy. The main difficulty is not in time management, but in staying sharp. After a heavy workout, it’s not easy to start studying or vice versa. That’s what’s really critical: it takes great willpower to find the concentration needed to do well in both careers.

What are your next sporting goals?

In fifteen days, there will be another stage of the World Cup in Manchester: I will try to further improve my performance and secure the convocation for the Paralympics in Tokyo. My dream is to bring home the first medal in the history of Italian Paralympic weightlifting.

We thank Donato for the nice chat and wish him the best of luck for his Dual Career.