The German-speaking Roman: Elena Sandulli's special story

We reach the 21-year-old as she strolls through Rome with her little cousin and her aunt. It is a rare stay in her birthplace: Sandulli found a permanent home in Innsbruck and Brixen seven years ago. She feels at home here, she feels comfortable here. And all of this for one or two reasons: She wants to realize her dream, gain a foothold in the Ski World Cup and at the same time build a second base by studying law in Innsbruck.

But how does a girl from Rome, whose parents say they started skiing late, ignite the passion to race down the mountain? “I made my first turns in Serfaus (a community of 1000 souls in North Tyrol, editor's note). Because we really liked it, we went to South Tyrol more and more often for the 'settimana bianca',” explains Sandulli, who finally discovered her passion for skiing in Brixen and on the Plose. She enrolled in the Fana ski club – and from there everything took off. Even though the sacrifices that she and her family had to make were enormous: “At first we always took the train to Brixen on Friday and then returned to Rome on Sunday.” However, this workload could not be maintained in the long term, which is why Sandulli moved to Innsbruck with her father and brother. No language barrier She completed high school there and then enrolled in university. There was never a language barrier, says Sandulli: "I attended a German school in Rome, and 'shoe' was the first word I said as a small child."

When Sandulli reached the age of 18, her father and her younger brother, who also fell in love with skiing, withdrew from Innsbruck. “I stayed in Innsbruck, but also in Brixen to ski and study.” With success: Sandulli is one of the most promising talents in the Italian skiing panorama.

Looks confidently into the future: Elena Sandulli

Sandulli made his World Cup debut when he was just 18 years old. And in Sölden of all places. About two months later she got another chance in Courchevel. Both times it wasn't enough to qualify for the second round - a side note.

Instead of finally launching her career, Sandulli fell into a result hole, which she explains as follows: “I developed quickly and well. After my World Cup debut, I didn't think I would encounter so many difficulties. On the one hand, I was struggling with a persistent knee injury, but on the other hand, I didn't manage to adapt quickly. I was always one step behind.” As a result of a mixed season, she was left out of all the national team squads last year. This did not harm their performance, on the contrary. Last season she achieved excellent results again. Attack again “I hope I have learned from my mistakes and am back on the right track,” emphasizes Sandulli, who made a strong statement by finishing fifth in the giant slalom at the Junior World Championships in March. Their season was also marked by many difficulties. Due to the corona pandemic, she was unable to commute from Brixen to Innsbruck. Sandulli decided to stay in South Tyrol - also because of the coach from Brixen.

Elena Sandulli at this year's Junior World Championships.

Even though the season has only just ended, Sandulli has set clear goals for next season. “I would be very happy to finally make it to the World Cup. I have been working towards this specifically for many years. To do this, I have to achieve good results in the European Cup and push myself,” says Sandulli, giving the direction. She says that is of course the goal of many athletes: “But the nice thing about our sport is that you can change everything pretty quickly. The gap between success and failure is small,” says Sandulli. The school press Her initial focus is on her studies and the upcoming exams: “I always take the most important ones in the summer,” claims the Italian, who thinks studying is a welcome change from the tough ski circus. "I like it. And it helps to look at the sport from a greater distance. If you don't have a good race, I know that I still have a second option. Skiing alone draws you in too much.” Having a distraction and being able to see something different is positive. At the same time, however, you also have to have the motivation to do so, because studying requires a lot of commitment.

The story of Elena Sandulli is a special one. And one that shows that with commitment, will and passion, a lot is possible and even greater depths can be bridged. No matter how big they may be.

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The German-speaking Roman: Elena Sandulli's special story

She impresses with her quick swings, her irrepressible will - and what's more, her accent-free German. This is Elena Sandulli from Rome, who has made her home in South Tyrol and would like to start in the Ski World Cup soon.

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