Here we are guys, we are back with the follow-up interview with Zoran Filicic, our Italian voice at the most important CrossFit® race in the world that starts OGGI!
You got involved, you participated in two Open, in 2018 and this year. What's it like to get out of the console and compete on the pitch yourself?
I didn't plan it, but I'll tell you how it happened and if you listened to me until now you'll understand: I was in Milan, I was following the Pyeong chang Olympics for Eurosport and I was training at Officine. Once again the Open starts, I would never have thought of registering but the first day of the 18.1 the coach Matteo Pinazzi explains to us in two words what the concept of Open is for him, and convinces me. No, it doesn't even convince me, it enlightens me.
I still remember the words: "It is not to win, it is not to go to the Regionals, but to put yourself in competition with yourself, under judgment, to see where you are and maybe next year you will have a specific goal"; after his words, when he asked who had signed up, I raised my hand, decided. I sucked, in the Open 2018, and I did it with a smile. It was my level, I fought on every rep, all the workouts climbed, without giving up, every rep more I did for myself. I will always be grateful to Pinazzi for bringing me into the Open, as well as to coach De Sury for enlightening me on the strategic approach to a wow, I think it was 18.3, I go by heart, however it was ascending and descending ladder of dumbbell clean and burpees over. the bar, with clean's RM to conclude.
Oh well, the memories are so many and I would have so many coaches to thank, each one gave me something really important as well as Open 2019 was important, with 4 RX workouts! I never thought of doing them a year ago, but the most important thing is not that I managed to do them and finish well (for me it was a positive result) in the standings but it was the realization of my limits, enormous limits, and face them.
This year you will be the official commentator of the Reebok CrossFit® Games 2019, the most important CrossFit® event in the world. What do you feel about it? And among the athletes, who are your favorites?
I'm excited, CrossFit® Worldwide is evolving and we all have the opportunity to be part of it. Many are critical, there are others, others like me are enthusiastic, but the changes are normal in any sport. We are trying to give a precise cut to the story by using my and Giulia Salvi's experience in creating a storyline together with Carlo Strati who is organizing everything. To do this you need to make choices, deal with problems, make decisions and get involved.
I'm excited about the idea and hearing him say from one who commented on six Olympics and five years of MotoGP makes you understand how much and what CrossFit® is for me. Favorites? It depends too much on the workout, at the moment looks at the top two in the worldwide ranking, they start from favorites.
Italian Showdown 2020 moves to Riccione. What are the innovations for the next edition and how come these changes?
1500 square meters of floor, 800 square meters of warm up area, 1500 seats, sanctioned event for men's Elite, women's Elite and Team, at the seaside, these are the news and they are so cool that they also explain the changes.
Among all the events you have covered as a speaker, is there anyone in your heart? And why?
If you mean as an on-site speaker, I'd say Turin 2006, where I was the Olympic snowboard speaker and commented on my friends and my party mates in front of twenty thousand people, an incredible, intimate, profound emotion. If not the Red Bull Xfighters of freestyle motocross, rock and motors and freestyle in front of 50000 spectators at the Olimpico in Rome, pure adrenaline.
In June you took the level certificate 1 CrossFit® trainer. What do you intend to do to open your Box? Become a coach?
Open a box? [laughs] no open a box no, become a coach yes. I participated in the L1 to understand, to improve, everyone had told me the same thing: "a world will open up to you" and it is true, a world has opened up to me. Now I don't move cast iron anymore, I understand why I do it; first of all I did it for myself, plus I needed both to comment and to talk about it to people with more knowledge of the facts, you can well imagine that given the work I do and the exposure to which I am subjected, I often find yourself talking about CrossFit® with the most diverse people, from the curious to the technicians of other sports, usually extremely critical and superficial about CrossFit®.
Anyway, starting in September I will start to work side by side and then to lead class, this is the project, and from experience I know you learn a lot more than you teach, I can't wait. If I succeed in my intent, if I will give continuity and I will reach the level of experience that I have set for myself, then I expect L2, but first there are a few specializations to be taken and in-depth studies to be examined.
You are a journalist, reporter, speaker and presenter of major international events, TV commentator, athlete, storyteller and above all, a dad. Would you like one day your son to follow your steps? Do you dream of a child who trains with you in the garage and maybe take up a competitive career?
I only hope for one thing for my son: that he plays sports while having fun, with passion, whatever the sport, whatever his level, I just want him to be happy and to receive from sport what I received: joy, also through (many) defeats. I always ask my son only one thing after training: "did you have fun?" I don't care how many points he scores, how fast he swims, how many minutes he plays. In sport I have always divided people into two categories and they are not the "strong" and the "bad guys" but "those who have fun" and "those who don't have fun". For me the best surfer in water he's the one who has the most fun, in any wave condition, that's what I wish for my son, to be the one who has the most fun.
You who are an expert in sports at 360 degrees, what do you think of this in social terms? Do you think sport can revive the suburbs of our cities?
sport revives everything, keeps you away from trouble, makes you know life, makes you socialize, gives you goals. it is the only way to live, combined with study and culture.
We thank you very much for the time you have dedicated to us and we will surely all stick together from 1 ° to 4 August to see the Reebok CrossFit® Games in Italian narrated by you.
Thanks to you and if you don't like the comment, put the dumb, I'll do it myself when I'm listening again ... [laughs].
Did you put the follow to him? Not yet? Come on, don't waste your time your IG is @viaggio_solo.