Good morning to those who live race walking and enthusiasts of this beautiful sport.

I’m next to flying to Rio de Janeiro after twelve years since my first Olympics, so many things have changed but the fire inside that I have every day putting my walking shoes isn’t different from then ...

In Athens I was a girl with many dreams in sport and in my private life, today are a woman and a mother.

I leave with my family, my husband Daniele and our children Elena and Simone, thanks to a project “moms-athletes” that with the help of Coni I could accomplish.

I can so spend the first four days pre-admission to the Olympic village with them.

This new  CONI project  has rightly some stakes: the flight cost charged to the mother-athlete and age of children up to six years.

After becoming a mother I re-started to compete in high level in 2011 knowing that I could do so only on condition of not having to give up my family.

Thanks to the Federation and with a little organization I have always been able to have my kids in train. Being the “remote Mom” for me would have been senseless to doing and live with my children training meets and long distance competitions was beautiful.

So these days I will prepare our four suitcases and leave for a new adventure.

I wish you all good Olympics

Elisa Rigaudo