Vicenza celebrates International Women’s Day with “Stories of women, stories of sport”

From March 7th to 9th, the city of Vicenza is preparing to celebrate International Women’s Day with a special event entitled “Stories of women, stories of sport”. An initiative promoted by the associations Like a spell e asd Ideas in Art, in collaboration with the Municipality of Vicenza, to focus on the role of women in sport, also in view of the arrival of the Giro d’Italia stage on May 23.

The rich program of events will take place in different locations of the city and will involve prominent athletes, moments of debate, sports performances and cultural events to tell the importance of sport as a tool for emancipation and freedom for women.

Friday 7 March – Talk on Women in Sport

The inaugural event will be held Friday 7 March at 20:30 pm at the University of Vicenza, with the talk “Women and Sport, a Story Yet to Be Written”.

After the institutional greetings of the councilor for equal opportunities Isabella Sala, of the sports councilor Leone Zilio and of the delegated councilor James Bez, the senator will speak Daniela Sbrollini, member of the 7th Sports and Culture Commission, to present some legislative proposals aimed at improving the conditions of women in sports.

Among the guests of the evening, numerous athletes of national and international importance:

• Octavia Cestonaro (triple jumper)
• Alice Muraro (hurdler)
• Federica Del Buono (middle distance runner)
• Gabriella Dorio (Olympic gold medalist and Italian record holder)
• Barbara Lah (Olympian and president of Atletica Vicentina)

There will also be a focus on team sports and inclusion, with the participation of wheelchair basketball players.

Saturday 8 March – Sport and Solidarity

The day of March 8th will open at 10:00 with the non-competitive race “Vicenza in pink”, event inserted within the Vicenza Running Week. With departure and arrival in Piazza dei Signori, the initiative is supported by the Soroptimist International Club of Vicenza, and the proceeds will be donated to a women’s sports association.

In the afternoon, from 15:30 pm at the Sports Hall in Vicenza, there will be exhibitions and sports performances:

• “At the pace of the ball”, a choreography curated by the youth sector of Vicenza Volleyball in collaboration with Dance Workshop.
• Roller figure skating exhibition of the Crystal Skating Team.
• Match of the national women’s volleyball championship of Serie B1, with the challenge Volskbank Vicenza.

All 17:00, a special moment with Liz McColgan, world champion in the 10.000 metres, who will present her association She Ultra, committed to promoting women’s running at an international level.

Sunday 9 March – The bicycle as a symbol of freedom

Sunday will be dedicated to the world of two wheels with “Sella is/is Freedom”, an event that will take place from 10:00 at the Hippodrome ParkHere, professional cyclists will teach women and girls how to ride a bike for free, thanks also to the collaboration with Free Tour, which will provide bicycles for the day.

In the afternoon, from 16:00 pm at the Ex Centrale del Latte, a series of cultural meetings and testimonies will be held:

• Silvia Camon will tell about his cycling trip in Canada, with the presentation “Sport: not only competition, but also freedom and the pleasure of travelling”.
• Veronica Grillo will talk about the role of women in the history of sport, with particular attention to female toponymy.
• All 17:15, Professor Alessandro Frigiola will hold the conference “A big athlete’s heart to save many small hearts”, in collaboration with the Frigiola Foundation for the heart.
• Finally, at 19:00, closing of the event with the theatrical and dance show “Women and Sport: An Obstacle Course”, of and with Paula Rossi e Susanna Finetti.

An increasingly inclusive sport

“Stories of women, stories of sport” is part of a wider programme of initiatives “Always the eight”, curated by the Department of Equal Opportunities in collaboration with the Consultation for Gender Policies and numerous local associations.

An initiative that aims not only to celebrate the successes of female athletes, but also to raise awareness of the fundamental role of sport as a tool for emancipation and inclusion for all women.

The event will continue until March 29 with other events dedicated to the theme of sport and gender equality.

The complete program can be found here , here.