DANIELE DI STEFANO

Q&A with Daniele

Being part of the Mariani team means being an integral part of a project that goes well beyond the usual sponsor-athlete relationship. What does it mean to you?

It is, of course, a privilege to be part of such a great project.
We probably don’t realize how much and how quickly things evolve in every way, simply because we are the ones that together make it happen.
As the years go by, I’m sure that when we look back at all the work, we’ll realize that we’ve brought something really special to our sport.

To what extent has the Mariani team been a factor of progress that has helped you achieve results at an international level?

Davide was the first “sponsor” (he’s way more than that actually) to believe in me since I started skating, so I do owe him a lot. It all moved forward thanks to his support, and without a doubt, I would not have had the chance to experience skating at such a high level without him.

The same goes for the life experiences that we all live together within a team, where everyone is a fundamental part of that powerhouse, which would fall apart should it miss one of its members.

So I would say that Team Mariani has made me grow undoubtedly both as an athlete and as a person, and so, it is also thanks to the whole Team that I started winning races at the world level.

For over 15 years, several members of the team have managed to become World Champions. Does it inspire and motivate you to be the next one?

I think it’s a purely competitive matter; I always want to push myself beyond the limit and constantly improve.
The fact that the team has had so many champions in the making over the years is a great stimulus because it encourages me to do better.

How do you manage to maintain a professional athlete’s daily commitment in the pandemic period without knowing if you will race in the coming months?

As I said before, I’m endlessly challenging myself, so the daily commitment has always been a no-brainer for me.
Davide is the Boss, but he never misses an opportunity to openly discuss things with us and consider our ideas and opinions. In my opinion, this is the secret of a winning team, and it is also one of the many reasons why I have never lost the desire to train and get involved.