Giovanni Cantamessa, goodbye from the climbing world

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Giovanni Cantamessa in China during the Climbing World Cup.
Photo by Laura Cardellini

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10/03/2010 - by Vinicio Stefanello

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Giovanni Cantamessa, goodbye from the climbing world

After a long ordeal Giovanna Cantamessa died on 9 March 2010. Born in Turin and brought up in Bologna, the 55 year old had been coach and irreplaceable body and soul of the Italian Sport Climbing Federation since 2002.

For a long time Giovanni Cantamessa's life was hung by a thread, to a hope which last night dashed away forever. It was the end of a long ordeal which started in October 2008 with that absurd accident on the ringroad outside of Verona. But this cannot suffice to soothe the pain. To proceed onwards. This isn't how things go. My mind thinks of other things.

I think about his impassioned manner, impetuous and at times excited of interpreting climbing. I think about his total dedication to the Italian Sport Climbing Federation, the FASI. His giving his heart and soul to this sport. And to those many athletes to which, in all these years, he was not only the coach but also an elder brother, a reference point.

And, then, I think about that accident which happened immediately after the opening ceremony of that indoor climbing wall in Verona for which I invited him to. I remember his absolute willingness for that event even if, on the eve of the Italian Championship, it would have been a tour du force. But this is how Giovanni was, nothing could get in his way if he believed an initiative might be useful for climbing. His willingness and dedication for the sport he loved was limitless.

Giovanna Cantamessa rose from the ranks. First as a climber, then as a driving force behind the sport club CUS Bologna. This was followed by his commitment to the FASI. The battles for an idea of a "different" federation which he shared with his brotherly friend Luigi Colò and Andrea Gennari Daneri. In 2002 and under the guidance of President Ariano Amici, with whom he shared the developments of the Federation, Giovanni was given the important role of Team Coach and manager of the Italian Team, which he carried out until the accident stopped him. In the meantime he was also General Secretary of the Federation.

Of Giovanni one can easily say that his commitment to the FASI was full-time, and even more. It is for this reason that for many it was he who represented the FASI. And one must not forget that as Team Coach he successfully won the Bouldering World Championship titles of Christian Core and Mauro Calibani, Jenny Lavarda's Combined victory and Flavio Crespi's Lead victory. And one must not forget how much he cared for his "captains", Luisa Iovane and Luca Zardini.

Giovanni's meticulousness will be remembered, if you want, his stubbornness. He was a born organiser, irreplaceable in preparing the logistics of team transfers. And in knowing the sports rules and in "programming" the phases of a competition. Those who remember him watching the competitions know what I'm talking about. He followed his athletes' progress with total dedication which at times might have seemed excessive. I have never seen anyone calculate, even with a cold mind, all the possible variants of the points while at the same time being so totally involved in the game.

At times one had to discuss things with Giovanni. His decisions didn't always convince and so - and this happened to me too - this was followed by impassioned, if not to say epic, disputes. But apart from the battles, one thing always struck me: his availability to discuss things, to listen to the reasons of those who opposed him, while strenuously defending his own. In the end what counted was his willingness, his ability to share the same climbing passion. For those moments, the most beautiful ones, in which we exulted for a victory, for a top.

Giovanni is survived by Pierluigi, his one and a half year old son and by the extremely strong and courageous Laura, his wife. The thought of all the climbing world goes out to Giovanni, a world to which he gave much of himself. When we said good-bye to each other that evening on 10 October 2008 at Verona, just before the accident, Giovanni had talked to me about the new generation, those young athletes he hoped to launch to international competitions. One cannot forget.

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