A heartfelt hug for Sofia Goggia. © Instagram

Sofia Goggia: "He helped me out of the darkness"

Sofia Goggia is Italy's great hope at the Olympic Games. In a recent interview, she gave some emotional insights.

05 January 2026

From: det

The Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina are fast approaching. In one month – on February 6th – the opening ceremonies will take place, after which new winter sports heroes will be born in northern Italy, and many dramas will unfold. One athlete who is particularly in the spotlight is Sofia Goggia. The fearless downhill skier is considered one of the Azzurri's greatest medal hopes.

Goggia has had a remarkable career. She has won numerous races and became Olympic champion in 2018. However, her risky skiing style has often landed her on the operating table. This was the case in January 2024, when Goggia suffered a broken shinbone in training and went through a very difficult time. "I didn't know if I would ever come back," she said at the time.

Roberto Baggio as helper

During this dark period, Goggia received help from none other than a sporting legend to get back on her feet: The Bergamasque player sought advice from Roberto Baggio, one of the greatest footballers in Italian sporting history. "That was an incredibly important encounter for me, because I was going through a dark time," Goggia said in an interview with Corriere della Sera. "I requested a meeting because I know how much he was plagued by injuries throughout his career. I needed to know and understand what motivated him to always fight his way back."

Sofia Goggia is one of the best skiers in the world. © ANSA / Guillaume Horcajuelo

Goggia explains: “I went to Baggio’s house, we talked for a long time. I was convinced that injuries were the product of inner conflicts. I needed to talk to someone who could understand me.”

"He told me: 'You have to decide for yourself, the rest is just paranoia.'" Sofia Goggia

Baggio listened intently and then showed Goggia the room where he prays every day – the football legend is a practicing Buddhist and draws much strength from it. "At one point he looked at me and said, 'You have to decide for yourself, the rest is just paranoia.' He was right. He helped me through that difficult time," said Goggia.

Indeed, after this encounter, the Italian found her way out of the darkness and launched her comeback. Now she is once again among the best downhill skiers in the world – and one of the top favorites for an Olympic medal.