The Record, a challenge with myself. A dream, a hope by Cristian Dorigatti

Published on 13/08/2019

Since a very early age I have always tried to push myself beyond my limits; I felt the need to pursue continuous goals by giving the maximum to reach them. I needed something that offered me new, ambitious and achievable motivations. I discovered climbing. From that moment, at 8 years old, nothing stopped me on my journey as a climber.

I have always been very competitive and I immediately entered the racing world without great results, even if the desire to get on the podium in all competitions was really great.

Over the years, however, I felt that there was no longer the essential need to challenge others, but this had turned into a challenge only with myself. I started training hard and I saw that the training was giving good results and with growth my body reacted positively. After this change, the perspective on the races was different; it was no longer winning but comparing myself with others, seeing if the hard work could have a positive outcome.

I have always felt like a climber at 360 ° and I will never stop being one. 

When I started speed climbing, however, everything was reset to zero. I saw that this discipline was good for me and the results, compared to the rest, were really good. I felt like a child again, I was still tied to that sense of "being superior", of wanting to prove that I could be stronger, but fortunately this thought was soon gone.

In this specialty, it is easy to have a comparison parameter as it is enough to take into consideration the time to finish the race.

So over the years I didn't care to win or lose anymore, it was only a challenge against myself: my personal record. Take me to my limit and beat myself, or rather, improve myself.

A real battle against time. The only thing I had in mind for long periods was my record and my desire to lower it. I learned how to manage anxiety and my emotions by getting away from everything. I learned to find the right balance between mind and body by eliminating all negative sources. Several times I asked myself if all this made sense, "to climb to stop the time in the shortest possible time". But right here I found a goal that, if achieved, satisfied me more than anything else, a small goal of life. An improvement of one's self.

"The competition made me grow as athlete, the sport as person."

Inside a bubble

I experienced excellent physical sensations, mentally I was calm and relaxed and in my head I had only one great goal: to go fast. I didn't think about winning, I didn't think about losing.

At the beginning of my climb, I only heard the sound of the start and found myself an instant later, at the top of the wall to stop the stopwatch. For a brief moment, everything stopped, until I woke up from the screams of the crowd. My body knew exactly what to do while my mind, for a little while, left no room for any thought. So I set my 6 "54 cent record.

Olympic dream: World Youth Sport Climbing Championships (Innsbruck 2017), qualification for the first Youth Olympic Games (Buenos Aires 2018)

A dream; an opportunity that was offered to me and deserved a valid attempt.

It approached my potential. It would have been unique, unrepeatable.

I knew the "game" was very hard but I always tried to incite myself and give me some chances!

I think I wanted this more than most people who were trying to get something big like me.
I managed to qualify in the top 20 finalists of this great adventure. I knew I was disadvantaged compared to my companions but I always had a flame inside me that never went out. I fought, I believed it, but despite this a small mistake hindered my chance to pass the round.

Despite this, good or bad, I am proud of myself and what I did, fighting for a great nation pushing the colors of Italy.

Article and pictures by Cristian Dorigatti, July 2019.

Cristian Dorigatti, born in Trento (Italy) in 2000, former athlete of the Italian National Climbing team, speed specialty. In the Grivel family since 2016, his best achievements are: 1st place in the European Cup 2017 Speed U18; Speed Arco Italian youth champion 29.05.2019.

Favorite Grivel products: Gravity 35 backpack; Grivel crash pad, Rocker 45, Stealth helmet, Sport Alpha Captive quickdraws.