“Tennis, and sport in general, is a way to shape and strengthen your soul and your personality.”
This is how Sofia describes the role sport plays in her life. For her, it is not only about competition or results.
It can build character, teach you something about yourself and prepare you for life. It is also one of the fields she would like to explore as a journalist.
Sofia is 24 and was born in Gorizia, a city on the Italian-Slovenian border, where different cultures have always met and influenced one another.
“Growing up surrounded by different cultures and identities has definitely influenced the way I see the world and made me curious about what exists beyond where I come from,” she says.
Living in a bilingual family helps her to have more confidence in the approach with other cultures and languages wich become her main interest. Getting yo know people from different country is a trait that strengthens her soul .
Family remains an important part of her life. Sofia has a 26-year-old older brother and, even though she now lives far from home, she tries to retun to Gorizia as often as she can. She misses her family, but they understand how important the opportunity to live in Rome is for her. Leaving home means accepting distance, but also recognising that certain experiences are necessary to grow
Before Rome, another city played an important role in her life. For the last five years, Sofia studied in Amsterdam, an experience that allowed her to live in an international environment and come into contact with new people, cultures and habits. The Dutch capital also influenced her musical taste.
Rome represents another step in her journey. Sofia calls it “the most beautiful city in the world.” What fascinates her is the possibility of discovering something new almost everywhere she goes. Every street, neighbourhood and corner can become a source of knowledge and a way to enrich her personal background, both professionally and personally.
This curiosity is also at the heart of her interest in journalism, a profession that has fascinated her since she was a child.
Although sport is one of her main passions, Sofia does not want to focus only on sports journalism. She is also strongly interested in political journalism and, in particular, in conflicts and war reporting. In fact, it was partly this interest that first brought her closer to the profession and made her want to understand how journalists can tell complex events and the stories of the people involved.
For Sofia, journalism is connected to the desire to observe, understand and tell what happens around her.
“ I was 8 years old, when I was watching tv with my parents and I decided I wanted to be a journalist” she said.
Behind a match, just as behind a political event or a war, there are people, emotions and stories that go beyond what is immediately visible.
Between Gorizia, Amsterdam and Rome, Sofia continues to explore the kind of journalist she wants to become.
