Carlo - As a typical Italian young boy I grew up playing football (a.k.a. soccer) competitively; however, soccer was not the first sport I practiced nor the only one. Before I could celebrate my 4th birthday my parents got me a pair of xc skis and every year during the winter season they made huge efforts to drive me to the mountains and teach me how to ski.

During middle school I was initiated to running and participated in a few cross country races during the fall as well as cross country skiing events in the winter. In my first year the teacher even convinced me to run the 1 km track race during the spring season. I wondered why I had to be the guy that had to sweat the longest to earn a medal, and why I had to suffer more than anyone else just to get to the finish line. It seemed unfair and for this reason I stayed away from track & field, even though I continued running cross country races for the next couple of years with good results.

During high school I continued my active life playing soccer competitively; during the winter - however - my father drove me almost daily to the Dolomites to practice cross country skiing any time we had a chance. The last two years of high school I also rediscovered cross country running, winning two County championships.

While in college I only played soccer and once I moved to the US in 2006 my life was totally focused on work while sports and physical activity were not part of my routine. In 2010 I was invited by a colleague to run a half marathon and - despite a serious injury I suffered a month prior the race, and despite been totally out of shape - I completed the challenge finishing just a few seconds behind him.

The excitement I felt running and the adrenaline of the competition sparkled feelings I had several years before and motivated me to pursue this healthy activity further. For about two and a half years I enjoyed running with my girlfriend Michelle, improving our skills and visiting new places. Only at the beginning of 2013 we decided to train more and train better. While we improved our road running background, we also got more involved with trails and longer distances. We could not believe that people were actually running 50, 100 or more miles in the woods and in the mountains, but we were intrigued and wanted to try it.

That's when our journey began. I love spending time with Michelle on the trail while training, and I also enjoy the loneliness and silent atmosphere of the woods when I am running alone. Running has completed my life and helps me understand more about who I am.