Bruno Contardi e Franco Giovanelli dimostrano ogni giorno che lo sport non ha età. Bruno, 87 anni, tesserato più anziano della palestra Acrobatic Fitness, affronta cyclette e pesi con la stessa grinta di un ventenne, alimentando la sua passione per il ciclismo che dura da tutta la vita. Franco, 86 anni, continua a muovere dritto e rovescio sulla terra battuta del Tennis Club Nino Bixio, partecipando ancora a tornei over 80. Entrambi incarnano la vitalità della terza età: Bruno con la palestra e la bici, Franco con il tennis, dimostrando che costanza, movimento e passione mantengono corpo e mente attivi, trasmettendo energia e ispirazione a chi li circonda.
Bruno Contardi impegnato negli allenamenti
Among the Acrobatic Fitness equipment, Bruno Contardi moves between weights and exercise bikes like anyone else. Ordinary administration, one might say, if it weren’t for a detail on the subscription: 87 years. Seemingly frail and lean, his physique hides more muscle fiber than many nearby young men.
He is the oldest member of the gym in via Gervasi, but his true kingdom remains the bike seat. Married to Carmen, Bruno is an amateur cyclist: «I started training continuously after retirement, even taking part in some races, but I was already cycling as a child», he says. «In the gym I work on the exercise bike for an hour. I eat everything, without too many sacrifices.”
The passion for cycling goes beyond daily activity: «In 1951 I went to Varese with my father and my brother: Ferdy Kübler, the Swiss, won. Cycling is in my blood.” Even today it faces climbs and long routes; in the past he also practiced boxing, with over fifty matches.
Daniele Bavagnoli, founder of Acrobatic Fitness, describes it like this: «Here we often say that sport is health. In this case it is also longevity, but above all energy. Bruno transmits the energy to everyone: when it arrives there is always a joke. It’s not just a question of muscles, but of the head and heart. It is proof that movement, at any age, is also good for the mind. Bruno is the symbol of this.”
Franco Giovanelli sul campo da tennis
On the clay of Nino Bixio, time seems to stop. Franco Giovanelli, 86 years old, a native of Piacenza – «I was born in via Castello», he is keen to point out – moves forehand and backhand like in the best of times. Look for the winner and, when the opponent is in front of the net, the passer remains the first option. Old school, without compromise.
His goal is undoubtedly to get closer to the goal of the former Veronese doctor Pietro Pasqualini, a 99-year-old tennis player who toured Italy in recent weeks. Giovanelli, one of the oldest tennis players in the province, still works off the court: «I am a consultant in the chemical sector, I teach qualification courses for new experts and this year I celebrated seventy years of contributions to the INPS», he says smiling.
On the sporting front, Franco immediately sets the record straight: “I’ve never played football.” He approached tennis in 1968: «In that period Nino Bixio no longer became just a summer club, but also a winter club, thanks to the covered court which allowed playing all year round. I became passionate about it first of all because it always kept me in shape. Even today, if I don’t play, I feel bad.”
Despite the years, physical fitness remains a priority: «On the surface I look fake skinny, but if I don’t play even what I eat bothers me. With tennis, however, I digest everything.” Constant training: two or three times a week, winter preparation and a personal trainer to strengthen your legs.
«I only play on clay. It allows me to still be here. No shots to improve: the important thing is to get on the pitch and work up a good sweat.” Today he participates in over 80 tournaments and follows tennis on TV: «I like Sinner and Alcaraz, but also those who know how to attack and don’t just play the hammer».
