Jury Chechi’s new project: "Really Touching Tales"
Lord of the Rings Jury Chechi decided to take on the role of storyteller in Back in the Game, the new format in which he explored stories of confidence, inner strength and humanity related to great Italian sportsmen. There was a presentation of the Sky program in Milan, and Sportal.it exclusively interviewed the gymnastics star.
You have started a new, important and intense experience. How much fun are you having?”
This is a very nice project and also fun, but with deep content, at times even emotional. The stories we have collected, of extraordinary athletes, but also of personalities from the world of entertainment and television, tell paths of success, but above all of life. They have given us truly touching tales that deserve to be heard. We have tried to tell them lightly, but without losing substance.
How important is it to make kids understand that behind a well-known face in sports there are years of sacrifice? We often stop at appearance, tattoos, attitude, but there is much more behind it.
That’s right. And that is exactly what emerged from talking to these characters: more than sacrifices, they are difficult but necessary choices. The real sacrifice is doing something without knowing if it will get you anywhere. But when you know that a commitment brings you closer to a goal, even if it is hard, you take it on. It is no longer a sacrifice, but a conscious choice. The stories we have told prove it: there’s always great determination. And determination does not make things easier, it makes them possible. This is the strongest message that came out.
Talking about busy seasons and future goals: Italian gymnastics got off to a great start after a resounding Olympics. Now we are approaching the end of 2025, a crucial year toward the next four-year Olympic period. There is still a World Championships to be held: what can we expect? And a look already toward Los Angeles 2028?
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In my opinion we can expect very good things. We have athletes and female athletes in great shape, both in men’s and women’s. Already from these World Championships we can aspire to important results. And why not, also try to raise the bar ahead of Los Angeles. Even just confirming what we did in Paris in 2024 would be a huge achievement.
You’re back in the game at an age when many people think high-level sports are over. What is the secret to staying so high performing even when you are out of your “golden years”?
There is no absolute secret. You need great motivation, unwavering determination and a fierce will to achieve the goal. You also need to be aware that age is not just a number: it matters, all right. But one must know one’s limits and still try to overcome them, every time.
Do limits exist?
When I won bronze in Athens in 2004, I really understood it: you can go beyond what you think is your limit. That’s why that medal is worth so much to me, maybe as much as the gold in Atlanta in ’96.
