ISOLA Federica

Personal Information

Residence Vercelli, ITA

Occupation Armed Forces Athlete

Languages Italian

License number 27091999000

Club

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Sport Specific Information

When and where did you begin this sport? She took up fencing at age six and began competing at age 10.

Why this sport? She grew up in Vercelli, Italy, and was inspired by the city's connections to fencing. Her family had also been involved in the sport. "I developed a passion for it because Vercelli is the city of fencing. It is also a family sport. My dad and my grandparents practised it before me, so it was inevitable that sooner or later I would start too."

Club / Team CS Aeronautica Militare [ITA] / Scherma Pro Vercelli [ITA]:

Name of coach Massimo Zenga Germano [Pro Vercelli, national]

Handedness Right

General Interest

Nicknames Chicca (vanityfair.it, 24 Oct 2021; lastampa.it, 20 Apr 2018)

Hobbies Chess, sailing, watching tennis, spending time with her family. (freeskipper.altervista.org, 01 Dec 2021; oasport.it, 23 Jan 2020)

Most influential person in career Her father Riccardo Isola. (il-cosmo.com, 03 May 2018)

Injuries She suffered an elbow injury during the northern hemisphere summer in 2020. (fanpage.it, 09 Mar 2022)

Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs "I am very superstitious. On my part of the platform I always leave my mother's sweatshirt, before getting on the platform I wet my wrists with my bottle of water, and I send a message to my father saying, 'Kiss'. The judges often pull me up for causing delays." (il-cosmo.com, 03 May 2018)

Sporting philosophy / motto "I like this sport because it is individual. Success is mine alone. It requires a lot of concentration, dedication, passion." (il-cosmo.com, 03 May 2018)

Awards and honours She was named the 2021 Vercellese of the Year, an annual award in the city of Vercelli, Italy. (lastampa.it, 12 Jan 2022)

In 2017 she was named Female Athlete of the Year by the Pro Vercelli fencing club in Italy. (tgvercelli.it, 20 Apr 2018)

Famous relatives Her father Riccardo Isola has been president of the Pro Vercelli fencing club in Italy, and has also served as a fencing instructor. (vercellioggi.it, 19 Aug 2020; accademianazionaledischerma.it, 01 Jan 2019)

Ambitions To compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. She also aspires to work as an engineer with her father. (pianetascherma.com, 25 Mar 2024; coni.it, 03 May 2023; fanpage.it, 09 Mar 2022)

Other information MENTAL PREPARATION
She has worked with mental coach Luigi Mazzone since age 15. "At first I didn't believe in him much but since I started working with him I have changed a lot, first as Federica and then as an athlete. We have achieved all the goals that we had set ourselves from the European U20s, to the World Cups and the Olympics. The mind counts for a lot in fencing, perhaps even more than technique and physique. The more I grow, the more I realise that a good result comes from the mind." (fanpage.it, 09 Mar 2022)

SPORT AND STUDY
She says her fencing career balances well with her university studies. "Fencing and university are two very similar paths because they are based on commitment and dedication. I am lucky enough to play a sport that gives me the opportunity to study, and I must say that I was also lucky because in my school and university career, I have professors who have always supported me, and for this I am very grateful." (freeskipper.altervista.org, 01 Dec 2021)