Paola Egonu and Her Farewell to Volleyball: “There’s one thing I miss…”

Paola Egonu opens up candidly, talking about volleyball, her passions, ambitions, and the future. The captain of Numia Vero Volley Milano and opposite hitter for the Italian national team was a guest on “Supernova,” the podcast hosted by Alessandro Cattelan, where she reflected on moments from her life both on and off the court, while also sharing her thoughts on when she’ll decide to retire from her athletic career.

The topic of retirement, in fact, provided one of the most significant moments of the interview. Egonu admitted she has already thought about the moment when she’ll hang up her knee pads, explaining that she wants to be the one to choose when to stop: “My wish is to quit while I’m still at the top, for my own sake. I’d like to reach that point where I accept that I’m no longer an athlete, but simply Paola—and then discover what else Paola is.”

She could have already said goodbye to volleyball, as she candidly admitted: “Yes, I’ve thought about it. As a person, I’m young, but as a volleyball player, I’m not. I’ve been playing for many years now. There’s still something I haven’t won, but I won’t say what it is. These kinds of goals are what drive me to keep going.”

Egonu also spoke about the possibilities she might consider once her playing career is over. Among the options is becoming a team coach, but she also expressed a desire to explore the world of fashion and build a career path away from volleyball.