THE EVIDENCE IS IN THE FACILITIES...THE NUMBER OF SPORTS FACILITIES AND THE VARIATION OF FACILITIES PERMEATES THE AREA...AND IT IS FAR MORE THAN JUST CALCIO..RUGBY...SWIMMING...AMERICAN FOOTBALL...HEALTH CLUBS..ETC..
COS AND MYSELF ARE TWO 50 YEAR OLDS TRYING TO PRESERVE EVERYTHING WE HAVE LEFT..SOME OF OUR EFFORTS ARE VANITY..WE DO NOT WANT TO LET OURSELVES FALL APART..SOME IS TRYNG TO STAY AHEAD OF THE HEALTH CURB AND KEEP OUR JOINTS YOUNG...AND SOME IS THAT WE ARE COACHING ALOT OF KIDS FOR 2-3 HOURS A DAY, AND DAMMIT IT REQUIRES A LOT OF ENERGY TO TEACH/COACH/AND DEMONSTRATE THE PROPER TECHNIQUE..IT CAN BE PHYSICALLY DEMANDING
SO PRIORITY NUMERO UNO WAS TO FIND A GOOD GYM FOR DAILY EXERCISE...DAVIDE', OUR ITALIAN DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR, AND FORMER STAR PLAYER JUST HAPPENS TO DATE MARINA, WHO IS AN INSTRUCTOR AT PALAESTRA VICTORIA..HE INVITED US TO WORKOUT FOR A DAY COURTESY OF MARINA..PURE GOLD..VA BENNISSIMO!
ON OUR FIRST DAY WE MET THE OWNER NAMED OMAR...A PURE BREAD ITALIAN NAMED OMAR IS AKIN TO JOHNNY CASH SINGING HIS SMASH COUNTRY HIT, "A BOY NAMED SUE." OMAR GENTILE SAYS HIS FATHER HAD A TWISTED SENSE OF HUMOR..ANYWAYS, NO NICO OR ROBERTO OR OR LUI FOR SIGNOR GENTILE..
BUT HE RUNS A FANTASTIC GYM...MODERN, CLEAN, COMPLETE WITH EVERYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE INCLUDING BOXING LESSONS IN A 18 X 18 RING, AND AN OLYMPIC SWIMMING POOL WITH 12 ,25 METER LANES...STEAM..SAUNA..AND RESTRAUNT TO BOOT...
IT IS OUR SOCIAL HANGOUT EACH DAY.
I MENTION BOXING BECAUSE OMAR HAS TEAMED UP WITH A CHILDHOOD FRIEND NAMED LUCCA MESSI, A WORLD CLASS BOXER WHO AS HELD A NUMBER OF CHAMPIONSHIP BELTS IN HIS 44 PROFESSIONAL FIGHTS..LUCCA IS CURRENTLY TRAINING FOR A FIGHT TO BE HELD IN THE NORTH ON APRIL 24TH, AND A LATER FIGHT IN GERMANY ON JULY 3RD...2X-A-DAY YOU CAN FIND LUCCA GOING THROUGH RIGOROUS PACES TRYING TO SECURE ANOTHER PAYDAY. HE IS MANAGED BY NONE OTHER THAN DON KING WHO HAS PERSONALLY BEEN TO BERGAMO AND TO THE GYM TO WATCH LUCCA TRAIN..PICTURES OF OMAR WITH DON KING, HIS IDOL JOE FRAZIER AND OTHER LEGENDS ADORN THE BOXING FANATICS WALLS.
WHEN THE RING ISN'T USED BY LUCCA, YOU CAN FIND OMAR TRAINING AMATEUR WOMEN AND MEN...ITS CHARMING WATCHING 30 YEAR OLD BUSINESS WOMEN IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL ATTIRE COME INTO THE GYM, CAMBIO, AND THEN STEP INTO THE RING IN GEAR WHILE WRAPPING THEIR WRISTS IN BANDAGES PREPARING FOR REAL BOXING LESSONS...DURING THEIR SIESTA NO DOUBT.
THE CENTER OF ACTIVITY IS CAFE' VICTORIA RUN BY GIANNI...GIANNI IS ONE OF 3 BROTHERS WHO COME FROM THE INTERIOR OF SARDIGNA...COOKING WITH BUON PERSONALITY IS A STRONG CHARACTERISTIC OF SARDIGNES...GIANNI CAN WHIP YOU UP A EXCELLENT FRESH HEALTHY IL PRONZO OR LA CENA IN NO TIME COMPLETE WITH WARM HOSPITALITY..IF NOT A MEAL, ESPRESSO' CAN BE SERVED WITH THE WORLDS FASTEST BARRISTAS; OR A MACEDONIA INSALATA...A MIX OF FRUITA FRESCA WITH YOGURT CAN BE EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED TO KEEP MOVING AFTER A STRENUOUS WORKOUT
MANY OF THE LIONS COME TO TRAIN HERE..ON MOST AFTERNOONS, EZIO, A BERGAMASCO NATIVE AND DENTIST, ALONG WITH MARIO, OUR RIGHT GUARD, CAN BE IN HEAVY TRAINING..EZIO IS MY LINGUISTIC AID..I TOLD HIM EARLY ON THAT I WILL TEACH FOOTBALL TO HIM IF HE TEACHES ME PARLO ITALIANO .MARIO HAS DROPPED 30 KILOS FROM A YEAR AGO AND HIS LEGS ARE FRESHER AND QUICKER THAN EVER..DAVIDE' CAN BE SEEN WORKING THE CORE ON MOST DAYS WEARING PROUDLY HIS FAVORITE T-SHIRT.."BERGAMO LIONS...LIVE ON THE WILD SIDE."
AS PLENTY AND TASTY AS THE FOOD IS EVERYWHERE WE GO, IT IS GREAT TO STEP INTO PALAESTRA VICTORY EVERYDAY TO SEE OUR NEW AMICI AND TRAIN LIKE ITS 1985 AGAIN...GOOD ATMOSPHERE, GREAT PEOPLE, A FAVORITE CAFE' AND SMILING HAPPY PEOPLE IS THE MOST ANYONE CAN ASK FROM THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD GYM..
KEEPING FIT IN BERGAMO..THANKS FOR ASKNG.
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