Matilde dreamed of competing in the Olympics and, who knows, winning a medal. She was a source of inspiration for young athletes, the champion, the friend, the sister and the girlfriend. In the church of San Lorenzo in Giaveno, in the Turin area, many people gathered to say their last farewell to Matilde Lorenzi, a promising Italian skier who tragically died at just 19 years old on October 28 in an accident during training on the glaciers of Val Senales in Alto Adige. The funeral ceremony saw the presence of many young people in tracksuits and with armbands bearing the photo of the skier and the words “Ciao Matilde”.

Before the coffin arrived, her maternal grandmother Rosina made herself heard with a silent cry: “The Lord has taken away a marvel from us”. Among the participants were also important figures such as the Minister of Sports Andrea Abodi and the Undersecretary of Defense Isabella Rauti. Matilde was a member of the Army sports center, which also brought officers of the Alpine troops to the ceremony. An Alpine hat worn by Matilde during the awards ceremony and the pennants of the sports associations were placed on the coffin. When the coffin entered the church, a trumpet played the military silence, a gesture that was repeated at the end of the function officiated by Monsignor Alessandro Giraudo, auxiliary bishop of Turin.

Her closest family members embraced each other in front of the coffin adorned with red and white flowers and a tricolor flag. Her sister Lucrezia, known as ‘Titti’, entered the church clutching one of the skis signed with Matilde’s name. After leaving it near the altar, she read a moving letter: “Since Monday I’ve been short of breath, but I know you’ll always be with me”. Her father Adolfo then took the floor, underlining a collective commitment to keeping Matilde’s memory alive through an initiative called Matildina4safety, aimed at developing safety systems for skiers.

Even their mother Elena wanted to express her feelings: “Nineteen years ago you arrived quickly and on Monday you decided to leave just as quickly.” She thanked Matilde for choosing them as parents and invited the young people to love each other in order to be able to transmit love to others. At the end of the ceremony, while the coffin left the church amidst emotional applause from those present, the athletes hugged each other and cried while the hearse headed towards the Valgioie cemetery, where the Lorenzi family lived.