Mama Brignone grants deep insights

Maria Rosa Quario – known in ski circles only as Ninna – gives an exclusive interview about what it means to be the mother of one of the world's best female ski racers of all time, as a former athlete. Ninna Quario spoke to s+ before the women's World Cup giant slalom at Kronplatz about...

...the time when she, a Milanese city girl with no connection to winter sports, became a ski racer: “Actually, I was a talented tennis player, but I was always only interested in skiing. My uncle owned a house in Courmayeur in the Aosta Valley because he was responsible for the ski lifts there as an engineer and later also worked on the construction of the Mont Blanc Tunnel. So, as a city girl from Milan, I always spent a lot of time in the mountains; it was a wonderful childhood, and nobody forced me to become a ski racer. It just happened that way.”

...the book chapter "Champion by Chance": "On the one hand, it refers to me, because, as I mentioned, a skiing career was never planned. But it also refers to Federica. I was a former ski racer, and her father is a coach and ski instructor. But we never raised Fede with the intention of becoming a ski racer ourselves. A good education in all kinds of sports was much more important to us. I also see this book as a guide for all parents, encouraging them not to take everything so seriously, not to prioritize a potential career. Fede developed this great passion entirely on her own. She wanted to be with the other children at the ski club. She always wanted to be outside, even in the worst weather. She never noticed the difference between sunshine, fog, and snowfall."

The book's cover.

...the current “youth craze” surrounding Lara Colturi, Giada D'Antonio and Anna Trocker: “I have a very clear opinion: everything in its own time. These are undoubtedly all highly talented girls. If they're good, they'll reach the top one way or another. If they're pushed so extremely hard at such a young age, there's a great risk of them being burned out. Wanting to achieve everything too quickly is a huge danger. I don't know if the pressure comes from the families themselves or if the FISI ski federation wants to avoid a second Colturi case. It's right that they receive the best possible support, but with patience. Everything in life takes time.”

...about the decision to write a book about herself and her children Federica and Davide Brignone: "I've kept a diary since I was 13. So many memories accumulated. Writing was always very important in our family; there were lots of books and magazines lying around. When I ended my skiing career in 1986, I was hired by the specialist magazine Sci, and then I also wrote for the daily newspaper Il Giornale. I was lucky that the Alberto Tomba phenomenon swept across Italy at that time. I was there from the beginning, had a good relationship with Alberto, and was constantly traveling to the World Cup. Federica was born in 1990, and Davide in 1993. Because of this, I worked a lot from Milan for the TV marketing company Infront so I could be with the children. When Fede made his World Cup debut in 2007, I was there again all the time. Emotionally, it was a huge challenge. But I was able to balance it well between my job as a ski journalist and cheering him on as a mom. Especially since Fede was almost always at the front, and it's much easier to be there..." As if things weren't going well. I still had to do my work anyway."

Brother Davide Brignone is the successful coach of "Fede".

...the relationship between mother, daughter and son: "Federica has always been a bundle of energy. She's extremely determined; compromises are out of the question for her. Since Davide became her coach, he's had to deal with that; he's her lightning rod. But of course, the same applies here: if everything goes well and according to plan, everyone's happy. If not, then he has the toughest job in the world. The greatest stroke of luck is that they're both able to separate their professional and private lives. During training, he sets the tone, no arguments. She obeys him there, without exception. At the lunch table, she's also the best sister in the world."

...the difference between the ski champion and his daughter Federica Brignone: "For me, she's my daughter and only secondarily a ski racer. The results are one thing, but when the hotel chambermaid compliments me on her character and how she expresses her gratitude for even the smallest things, that makes me much happier. What's more important to me is that Fede isn't arrogant and treats everyone equally. I would be the proudest mom in the world even if she finished 20th in the World Cup." "I have decided to slow down. One of the reasons was a completely misinterpreted interview about Sofia Goggia, in which I was misquoted." Maria Rosa Quario ...the book chapter "Life is beautiful": “After the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, I was tired and burned out. That's when I decided to slow down. One reason was a completely misinterpreted interview about Sofia Goggia, where I was misquoted and some of my statements were only reproduced in fragments. That hit me hard. Since retiring from journalism, I've been a fan of Fede and have had time to write this book.”

...April 3, 2025: “I wasn’t at the Italian Championships on the Alpe Lusia in Moena, I followed the race on the live ticker. When I heard that Fede had dropped out in the second run, I didn’t think anything of it. It was only when the race interruption got longer and longer that my worries grew. And then, yes, then I got a call from Davide, who told me that something terrible had happened.”

...the race against time to be at the starting line for the 2026 Olympics: "The moment of her comeback is drawing nearer, the tension is mounting, and of course, I'm no longer relaxed. I was there for her first days of skiing in Courmayeur at the end of November, and now I'm following her recovery exclusively from home. The fact that she's doing so well again is sensational. After the first operation last April, the doctors told us that Fede probably wouldn't be back on skis before February/March 2026. That she's already this far along is nothing short of a miracle. So many things have come together perfectly."

...regarding the predictions of competing in the Olympics in Cortina: “I’m convinced Fede will be ready. Technically and physically, she’s ready. The crucial factor will be her mentality: Can she push herself to the limit, can she trust her abilities and her equipment without any race experience? She’s always said that she doesn’t want an injury to end her career. She wants to decide for herself when enough is enough. Now she’s back on track. She’s been making steady progress in training recently, and last week she was also on the Erta slope at Kronplatz. So she’s probably ready for tomorrow’s comeback race.”

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Mama Brignone grants deep insights

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