Person of the Month: Matteo Remotti Marnini

The XIV Winter Paralympic Games Milan–Cortina d’Ampezzo have now come to an end, but our home Paralympics have left behind wonderful memories and some achievements that can be considered historic. An experience that Matteo Remotti Marnini, Paralympic athlete and ice hockey player of the national team, will certainly never forget.

Matteo, since you already took part in Beijing 2022, can you be considered a veteran? Are the emotions always the same?

No, the emotions are not the same, this edition was something incredible. In Beijing there were COVID restrictions, so there were no spectators, whereas in Milan the turnout was amazing. Even though I have already participated in another edition and in many World Championships, I don’t consider myself a veteran but rather an experienced player. The emotions I felt at these Paralympics were unlike anything I had experienced before.

How did you get into this sport?

I started following the Paralympics when I was young. Besides local promotion encouraging participation in this sport, meeting certain people was crucial: Werner Winkler and Rupert Kanestrin—former national team players—who founded the youth team in Caldaro, Christoph Depaoli, a teammate with the same condition as mine, and Florian Planker, a veteran who has always worked to promote this sport. I currently play for the South Tyrol Eagle team; training sessions and home games take place at the Würth Arena in Egna. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage many young people with disabilities to come and visit us and try this wonderful sport, and also to invite as many spectators as possible to attend our games and support us.

Are you generally a competitive person, or is it on the ice that you express your determination the most?

On the ice I bring out a side of myself that only emerges during the game: a determination that doesn’t show in everyday life. At the same time, even in sport, I maintain the sensitivity that characterizes me, especially in being supportive and caring toward my teammates.

How has practicing Paralympic sport helped you in your everyday life?

Sport has given me a lot and continues to do so. It teaches you to respect others, rules, and schedules. At this level, it also gives you the opportunity to travel—an opportunity to improve the foreign languages you learned at school (I attended a language-focused high school)—and to engage with cultures and lifestyles different from those in South Tyrol. It helps you grow as a person.

How important is it for you to be part of a “team”?

I believe that practicing a team sport is very important for people with disabilities. Unlike individual sports, it allows you to connect with other young people with different disabilities. You support each other a lot and become like a family, with friendships that continue beyond the sports environment.

I imagine there is great satisfaction within the team for the excellent fifth place achieved in the recent edition…

We trained very hard and aimed to win a medal, also because we qualified as the second European team. However, competing with the best teams in the world is by no means easy. We are therefore satisfied to have confirmed the fifth place achieved in Beijing and to have broken the spectator attendance record twice. For the future of the team, it is important to involve young people, bring them closer to this wonderful sport, and prepare for a generational renewal.

Image: Matteo Remotti Marnini, Courtesy Matteo Remotti Marnini