Errigo: how to win even without winning

“I’ve been chasing my dream my whole life; now I’m doing it for others.” Among them are those Arianna Errigo calls her ‘jewels’ – the twins born in 2023 who are growing up with a coach for a dad (Luca Simoncelli, ed.) and a champion mum. Every now and then, they secretly pick up those foil swords that remain synonymous with passion. “I’m happy today; I’m doing what I love: if I win, it’s a unique sense of fulfilment; if I don’t, I no longer see it as a failure. I’m changing the way I train and manage my seasons; there are variables that need to adapt to my physique and time management. Family remains my priority. I often turn up at competitions – as I did at the European Championships – telling myself ‘let’s see how it goes’, but trying to be at my best.” Everyone asks her where she finds her motivation, yet for her the answer is straightforward: “I love competition. I lead a wonderful life in which I train my body, travel the world, do it with my children and win every now and then.” She is so fulfilled that, after all these years, she approaches things differently.

With this mindset, she is approaching her 14th World Championships (22–30 July in Hong Kong) and, delving into her memories, recalls her first appearance at the World Championships. “It was 2009, I was thrilled. That year I won the World Cup; I’d had a string of successes leading up to it. It was a first in so many ways – I won bronze and then gold in the team event alongside the true greats (Elisa Di Francisca, Margherita Granbassi and Valentina Vezzali, ed.) – I felt like I was in a playground.” When asked to choose her favourite edition, however, she has no doubts: “Milan 2023: every now and then I think about it and wonder how I managed it (she won silver, ed.) just four and a half months after a caesarean section for twin births. I’d been out of action for a year; it was a real feat. For 2026, I’ve been trying to get in shape for the European and World Championships; the first went well (silver, ed.), then we’ll see – competitions have a life of their own”. The Italian gymnast looks back on years she describes as satisfying, though not without their struggles: “It’s been very difficult to manage training and get back into shape. More often than not, I haven’t felt well because during the winter, two small children tend to fall ill and bring everything home with them; I’ve had very little energy. Over the last six months we’ve been getting more sleep, and at this level that’s crucial – it helps with physical condition.” Now, much of her peace of mind stems from her environment. She’s long since stepped off the playground swings and is now a mature athlete and woman, a role model for many. “I like giving advice; every now and then people ask me how to manage pressure, and I often help my teammates in team competitions. In the past, I wasn’t treated the same way… now the atmosphere is really good; we’re a calm, competitive group – there’s no malice, no score-settling. You can give something without having anything taken away from you.”

Errigo, in fact, isn’t content merely to react or take blows on the court; he moves, attacks, defends and rises to the occasion when it matters most. He is dynamism in its purest form, even from a mental perspective. He embraces every medal, viewing it through different eyes and savouring even its bitter aftertaste. “Before, every result was an obsession: I wanted to prove I was number one. I think it was right to approach that journey in that way; everything has its time, its moment. With children, your priorities shift; the weight you place on things is completely different. At 38, experiencing it all like this is special. Every competition I take part in is a gift.”

Perhaps it is the passing years that bring greater wisdom and a deeper acceptance of the passage of time: “As a sportswoman, you know you won’t go on forever, but I’m lucky – I’m physically fit, I’m pain-free, and I’m competitive. For at least five or six years now, I’ve been telling myself that if it were to end now, I’d be happy; it’s a bonus. Of course, my body has been affected by pregnancy; it’s left a few marks: I have significant diastasis recti, which I’ll probably need to have operated on when I retire. There’s the body from an aesthetic point of view and the ‘mechanical’ one, but that’s fine; I’m a positive person.” That’s why she’ll carry on until Los Angeles 2028; despite her doubts and the times she’s thought about retiring, she wants to grant herself this final indulgence. “After so many years, I don’t know if people have really understood who I am – not entirely, anyway. So many things are taken for granted – not about me specifically, but in general – when someone does something incredible. The people close to me know my worth. I’ve been through a lot – like trying to compete in two disciplines, not having a coach for a year – but those who wanted to see it saw something more. I’ve spent my life dreaming; I wanted to win, to have a family. Now I dream for others. I hope my children and my husband are well, and that he finds fulfilment.”

When she grows up – or rather, as she jokes, “when I’m even older” – she doesn’t know what she’ll do without her fencing mask on. “I’ve given so much, and perhaps my contribution to fencing might help; we’ll see. I’ve got a list of hobbies I’d like to take up; I’d like to have a normal life, to be a mum. I haven’t stopped since I was six.”