Martina Valcepina

www.facebook.com/Martina-Valcepina-422369418555790/

Name of coach	Assen Pandov [national], BUL; Kenan Gouadec [national]
Reason for choosing this sport	She thought it was fun. "I became involved in short track through my older sister Alessia. At the beginning I was also involved in swimming and athletics, but I chose short track as there was a school in Bormio that helped me grow."
Club / Team	CS Fiamme Gialle: Italy
When and where did you begin this sport?	She took up the sport at age six in Bormio, Italy.

Famous relatives	Her younger sister Arianna has represented Italy in short track. She was part of the 2000m mixed relay team that won silver at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. (SportsDeskOnline, 28 Oct 2022; fondoitalia.it, 09 Oct 2017)
Nicknames	Marti (Instagram profile, 29 Sep 2018)
Milestones	At age 17 years and 258 days, she was the youngest Italian athlete from any sport to compete at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. (SportsDeskOnline, 10 Nov 2021; sportolimpico.it, 01 Feb 2010)
Most influential person in career	Her family. (ricerca.repubblica.it, 14 Jan 2018; Athlete, 09 Dec 2012)
Hero / Idol	US swimmer Michael Phelps, Italian swimmer Federica Pellegrini, Italian figure skater Carolina Kostner, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. (sportfolks.net, 20 Feb 2018; sportface.it, 26 Jan 2018)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"Don't give up." (Athlete, 09 Dec 2012)
Other information	SKATING AND MOTHERHOOD She took two years away from the sport between 2014 and 2016 to start a family. "I discovered I was pregnant at the [2014] Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. After Sochi, I stepped away from the sport for two years as I felt I couldn't be both a mother and an athlete. But I soon felt attracted to the sport again, and as my [twin] daughters [born in September 2014] got older, and with the help of my family, I gradually returned to full-time training. All of this would not be possible without my family's help. Giving birth has taken away my anxieties, insecurities, agitation and timidity of the past. I've learnt to control my emotions more, and I have surprised myself with this new level of focus." (sportface.it, 26 Jan 2018; ricerca.repubblica.it, 14 Jan 2018)