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Last but not least, the athlete who responded favorably to my request as an amateur journalist: Matteo Remotti Marnin

I met Matteo in 2024 at the Olomouc tournament with French Crew. While we were seated during the last evening of the weekend, he spontaneously introduced himself to us in almost perfect French to talk about his club’s annual tournament, The South Tyrol Eagles, and how cool it would be for us to attend.

We had not faced their team during that tournament, but their level had greatly impressed us. They had indeed won it. The presence of an American among their ranks also caught our attention. We then faced them during their tournament. We were bolstered by Alessandro Andreoni and Gabriele Lanza, two of his compatriots. Matteo also joined us when his team was not playing. It was really a great tournament. It’s truly a pleasure to go there every year.

Matteo is one of the kindest humans I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

Can you introduce yourself? Your name, age, and whether you have a job in addition to playing para ice hockey?

My name is Matteo Remotti Marnini, and I was born in Bolzano, a city in the north of Italy. I’m 26 years old, and I work in a library because I’m not a professional hockey player.

How long have you been playing? What is your sports history ? in club and national team?

I started to play Para ice hockey in a small city near where I live now, with the team of young guys built for support and to find new talent for the club team (of the South Tyrol Eagles where I started to play four years after I found this amazing sport that I discovered due to a teammate with my same disability) in 2012. And I started to be part of the national team in 2016-2017 (but did not play an official game), but after an injury, I played my official tournament with the national team in 2021.

What position do you play? What do you enjoy about it? And what do you hope to contribute to your team through this role?

I play often as right wing forward, but I can also play as a defender if necessary. I like very much to play forward because I can make assists and score more goals, unlike when I’m on defense, and I can celebrate with my teammates. I hope to help my teams with some goals and assists but also with some pressure and hits against our opponents.

Do you have a favorite technique or a type of movement or action that you prefer?

I like very much when I can shoot and pass backhand, but I have to improve.

Conversely, is there a handling skill or technique that you would like to see improved?

I want to improve the precision of my passes and to try to learn “the Michigan “move. Wery useful for our sport.

Can you tell us about your equipment?

I use a Balistic sledge with a normal seat, only with a particular and specific pillow inside, and I use frontier sticks because they are a little bit tight. I found very good with all the equipment, but before I did the same mistake with the height of the sledge and now it is all perfect. Blades spacing is 1 inch.

How are you approaching these Paralympic Games? What are your personal goals? How do you feel about this unique competition?

I’m very happy about this Paralympic Game above all because they are in Italy. And so I’m very excited and focused, because the team and I have trained a lot to be ready for this event and to show all our Italian fans, family, and friends, as well as all the people from all over the world who came to see us or who will support us at home, for what we have trained for.

I’m proud to represent my country in this important competition with the best team in the world in front of our Italian spectators and people who support us all day, but also in front of all the people who came from all over the world to see this amazing sport. My personal goals are to give my best game by game and to make the same assists and the same goals to contribute to the teamwork. But I also want to contribute in the defensive zone to prevent the opponent from scoring.

Can you tell us about your daily routine during this preparation period? Any ice time, gym sessions, or other activities to help you perform well at the Games? Meditation …?

It depends on the day because we train 4 times a week, 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. But I wake up at 6:30, after which I go to work or training. At 13:30, I go eat, and then I go to the gym. On weekends, the same time, I go out with friends or I like to play on the PlayStation 4. But I don’t do that often and not for very long. And I don’t do any meditation. However, I listen to a lot of music.

Can you tell us about the teams you’ll be facing? Which ones have a style of play or tactics that appeal to you? Any players in particular?

In our Group, we have the USA, a very complete team with a lot of good players (some of the best in the world) with different characteristics, and very technical and very fast players like Farmer, Wallace, and Misiewicz, but also some young guys. We also have China, a very good team with very fast players. And last but not least, we have Germany, a team that we know very well, and is a very united team that is very physical, with three players who are very fast and other players with a lot of experience. But also, we are a good team that will fight all game period for period.

Do you have a mantra or a phrase you say to yourself that helps you feel good?

I don’t have any mantra, but I try to be focused and concentrate before the game with good music, or to ask advice from my teammates. The only mantra that I use a lot when we are all together near the net before the game begins is to always stay on the left side.

What can we wish you for these Games besides a gold medal?

I hope that a lot of people come to see all the competitions that will be competed in this Paralympic Games. So they will become more passionate about the Paralympic sports and games. And also, I hope to see a lot of people watch this amazing sport, Para ice hockey. I hope that all the athletes and staff members who come to Italy will stay safe, enjoy the games, and our country, and will put on a really big show until all the competitions are over and enjoy themselves during the games.