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Life and Work with Sophia Campana

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophia Campana.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Sophia. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My journey started off as a 10-year old gymnast; my choreographer Geza Pozsar revealed to me that by having Italian grandparents, I had the opportunity to obtain dual-citizenship and compete not only for the US but for the Italian Team as well. Passionate for my grandparents country and my sport combined, this idea became a dream, one that passed through my head day and night. I would constantly imagine myself compete under the Italian Flag. At 15, I went to try out for the Italian Team for the first time, living in a hotel in Milan that was built specifically for the National Team gymnasts. I stayed in Italy alone, knowing only a bit of Napoletan dialect from my grandparents. In the midst of this two-month whirlwind, MTV Italia approached me requesting my partake in the reality show “Ginnaste: Vite Paralelle” meaning “Gymnast: Parallel Lives”. The show was created to show the amount of sacrifices young girls and boys make to compete as Professional gymnasts. After the first two months of trying out for the team, the coaches told me that I was not ready to compete at the Professional/Elite Level, and went home to train more. I graduated one year early from high school by combining summer school courses with online courses in order to dedicate all of my time to Elite training; still determined to compete for Italy. I was trained by Crystal Tonto in my late Elite years, who believed in me since the day I told her what my dreams were! It is not common for 17 – year old gymnasts to begin an elite career. Most gymnasts have their blooming point at 15-16 because of how much Elite Gymnastics demands of our bodies.

At 18 years old, I was finally called back to Italy to try out again, and this time was honored a spot on the Series A Professional Gymnastics Team. Again, approached from MTV Italia, and this time one of the main characters on the show. After completing loads of paperwork I finally obtained my dual-citizenship and lived my childhood dreams as an Italian Gymnast. During competition years (2014-2017), I decided to write a book sharing my story, “Flipped: Keeping My Balance Beyond Borders”. My gymnastics career is unique because I had to face not only the challenge of keeping my balance on the beam but also in my mind and within myself, in a country very far from home and family. This journey taught me life lessons that go beyond the gym, my favorite being the power of our Fire. Passion is always more powerful than fear, and we have to know how to find it and use it in the toughest times. I encourage gymnasts around Italy, now touring as a motivational speaker, (yes, in Italian! I can now speak fluently) to ignite their Fire Within and to focus on their passion when self-doubts creep in. My Tours are called Fire-Works Tour, a fun gymnastics camp with a motivational speech, or “a talk about our fire”, as I like to say. Every participant receives a copy of my book, too!

Over 10,000 books have been sold since I released it. I pursue the positive messages that gymnastics has taught me on my YouTube channel called Sophialand as well, now at 200k subscribers. National competitions combined with MTV Italia and YouTube have brought a lot of public attention to my journey; followed by almost half a million Italians on social media profiles combined. I have always had a pure fire within me, and my parents supported this dream. The same goes to my beautiful younger siblings, Antonio, Giulia, and Dante. There wasn’t a day in my journey where they stopped believing in me, and I could not have done it without them.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Near the end of my first competition season in Italy, I had severe back pain. The doctors found an Osteoid Osteoma in my lumbar region; a tumor that grows inside of the bone. Fortunately, it was benign, but still extremely painful. My advice to other women would be to listen to your bodies. Treat yourself with care, your body does a lot for you! Nobody creates something unique because they follow the path that everyone else is taking, To be an individual, you have to take your own path. Trust yourself, and stop worrying about if it’s right or wrong. If you’re passionate about it, it’s worth it to go for it. Dedicate time to what you love. My minutes on the podium will forever be memorable, but my journey is what made me the person I am today. Instead of stressing about “am I going to make it”, direct your thoughts towards how gratifying the climb itself is. Jot down life lessons along the way, come back to them from time to time so you don’t forget the blessings that came out of difficult times. I’ve had endless embarrassing moments throughout learning the Italian language and use to be so afraid of getting humiliated… I’ve learned that any embarrassing moment can turn into a funny story!

What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
I now specialize in being a motivational speaker as well as a social media influencer. Most gymnastics camps focus on the technique aspect and less of the mental side. What sets me apart is how I dedicate a large portion of time just to teaching how we can be strong with our minds, not just our bodies. As an influencer, I incorporate motivational aspects in my pictures and videos. I remember how much my idols meant to me as a little girl, and want to provide my fans as much positive content as I can to give them a strong and trustworthy role model to follow. My gymnastics videos on YouTube are lighthearted. As the MTV Show was very serious at times, I like to show the fun aspect of our sport. I try and give profound messages in easily communicated ways. I also have a leotard line: Fire Leos! This line was created to remind gymnasts to ignite their fire at practice. Christian Grillo, my boyfriend and I brought Air Track Italia to Colorado last summer. Air Track Italia is number #1 in Europe for inflatable gymnastics equipment, and they are present in over ten countries around the world in which five are National Team Training Centers. The inflatable gymnastics mats are designed for technique building and injury protection.) In the US, I do Fire Works Tours as well. I even bring the entire line of Air Track Italia mats to the gym to use during camp!

Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
Nadia Comaneci, world-re known Olympian. She was the first gymnast to ever receive a perfect 10 score. In her autobiography, she wrote about how the gym seemed like her version of a playground. I related to her and remembered this throughout my whole career. She dedicated so much time and hard work to the gym but didn’t forget the “fun” aspect of it. Lizzie McGuire, a Disney Channel TV star played by Hilary Duff. In this show, Lizzie was a normal girl who found herself in many embarrassing and awkward moments. She showed the authentic side of being a teenage girl, having her panic moments at time to time. Nevertheless, she always stayed true to herself and her originality.

Pricing:

  • Flipped: Keeping My Balance Beyond Borders 15.95 on my website: www.sophiacampana.com
  • Invite me to your gym for FireWorks Tour! Pricing varies depending on the number of camp days.
  • Sophia’s Leotard Line www.sophiacampana.com

Contact Info:

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Image Credit:
Filippo Tomasi, Riccardo Redaelli, Marco Orsenigo, Nico Zico, Antonella di Cianzia

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