Dear Italian Open Water Community,
We have faced a challenging time, during which our sport has probably been one of the most penalized.
At the beginning of March, on all our social media platforms we published an appeal to the responsibility of all swimmers and we have to say that the response from our corner of the world has been overwhelming.
(read article)
Since last weekend we have officially entered a defining phase to overcome this terrible situation and we would like to give a boost of positivity to all the Open Water world, by sharing a video announcing the rescheduling of the first two stages of the challenge:
Monate 30th August
Maccagno 9th August
( See video )
It’s clear at the moment that the necessary conditions for our races to take place can’t be met, and in case these won’t change, we will be forced to cancel them: unfortunately we don’t have any kind of news to lift our spirits from the current situation…but we will keep holding on and try and share with you all our positive thoughts.
We are not trying to fool anybody, we simply want to share with our community our view and vision, while clearly knowing that the races this year will not be the same as ever.
To clarify all of this, yesterday we did a long Instagram live session that has breathed new life into us: seeing more than 300 aficionados take part in our live and read all your comments has filled our hearts and has given us a new supply of energy that we can’t wait to put into action.
To be able to do so, we have to wait for the Government guidelines that we will follow painstakingly, come what may.
(See Instagram live)
We have been inundated by all your messages: without your unwavering support we wouldn’t have the strength to try and keep the 2020 Challenge alive.
If the 2020 Challenge will take place, please be reassured: it will be unforgettable!
All the athletes that have already enrolled in the races, will be automatically entered for the “new” dates and in case someone will be unable to take part in said date it will be possible for them to give up their spot to someone else, by filling up a form that will be made available on our website.
In the unfortunate event that it will be impossible for our challenge to take place, please be reassured: we won’t betray the trust given us, even if we might take a loss.
Allow us to make one last plea for common sense : please, do not try to look into the last government guidelines to find a “legal” way to go the beach, to the lakes, to the see….if we want to deserve our August races, we still have to be on our best behavior now.
Yesterday, once the live was done, we felt the adrenaline pumping through our veins almost like after one of our races, not to mention the sheer joy of chatting with our friend Simone Ruffini.
