Over the course of this week, Euroleague.net will be posting interviews with the Hoop District team captains
Getting to know: Valentina Vignali, Team Milan captain
Artículo
17 Min lectura
The countdown to Hoop District is well and truly on, with just three days until the action commences at the brand-new adidas arena in Paris, France. In order to get to know the team captains a little better, we had a fascinating conversation with Team Milan captain Valentina Vignali.
This is the third of six "getting to know" interviews with the Hoop District captains that will be dropping this week. Here's what we found out.
Tell us about yourself. Who is Valentina Vignali?
"I am just a normal girl who loves basketball and fashion. I also love animals and travelling – I'm just a normal girl with a lot of hobbies."
How did you fall in love with the game of basketball?
"I fell in love with basketball when I was eight years old. I used to be a dancer when I was a kid, but then I realized that I was really, really tall – I was like 1.74m when I was like eight or nine years old. I remember one day they sent a letter to all the parents saying: ‘Do you want your kid to play this game or try this sport?' I got this letter from a basketball team in Rimini, my hometown, and my dad came to me saying: ‘Do you want to try it?' And I said: ‘Why not?' Then I started to play basketball in 1999. I kept it going with the ballerina stuff for a couple more years, but then I realized that I was really tall and my body was a problem to be a dancer instead of [playing] basketball; in the game of basketball, the fact I was so tall was good. I felt so comfortable playing basketball instead of being a dancer because a good dancer is not that tall. That's why I chose basketball at that point – I was 12, maybe – but I started at eight years old."
What made you want to become a basketball content creator?
"I have to say that being a basketball content creator is a consequence of being a basketball player. I started using my social media, with Facebook back in 2008, 2009, when I was at school. I used to post pictures of me playing basketball, some videos, and also some modelling stuff because I became a model when I was 15 years old. Then I just kept it going!"
You were diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2013 at age 21. How did you react when you heard the news?
"When I realized that I got cancer in 2013, I was 21. At the beginning, I didn't realize how serious the situation was because I was a kid. When you're 21, you think you're invincible, that nothing can stop you, and you're so young that you've got your whole life in front of you. I was like: 'I don't know what's going on. I don't know what I have to do.' But I wasn't scared, I wasn't scared at all. It's crazy. People around me were really, really scared: my parents, my friends, my ex-boyfriend. But I wasn't. I just thought: 'So, what am I supposed to do now?' Then, when the doctors discussed a type of therapy, I was like: 'Whatever I have to do, I'm going to do it.' My mindset was like that at that time."
What sort of impact did that diagnosis have on you in the years that followed? Does it still impact you today?
"The fact that I had cancer doesn't impact me nowadays because when you've had cancer, you know that anything could happen. Even if you heal it, one day it could happen that when you have a check, the cancer could come back – it's a possibility. I just live my life being the most relaxed I can be and enjoying the small things. The problem was the first years after they told me that I had cancer because they were some really tough years. I had to take this medication, have the surgery, and basketball and my job were everything that I had. When you're 22-23 years old and you play basketball, you're in the middle of your career. I remember that I had to change the league I was in: I was in A [first division] and B [second division] and I had to play in C [third division], but I never stopped playing basketball, I just switched leagues to try to play. But it wasn't easy. I remember during the treatment after the surgery, [the effects] lasted for two years. I was really, really weak and I had to sleep 15-18 hours per day, but I always wanted to go to practice with my teammates. But I was really weak, so sometimes I used to run for 15 minutes and then I was done. I couldn't do any more, and it was tough. sometimes I felt really cold, sometimes really hot – the temperature of your body, because of the thyroid, was really tough."
Did basketball act like a safe haven during that time?
"Basketball was a safe place for me during that time because on my worst days, when I was thinking that I can't get up from my bed, I would think: 'Okay, at 6-7, I have my practice with my teammates. My teammates are rooting for me, they're waiting for me. Even if it's just 10 minutes or 20 minutes running or shooting, they're waiting for me, so Valentina, please get up from this bed and go to practice.' So yes, it was a safe place. The doctors, treatment and everything saved me, but basketball saved my mind."
What is your style of play on the court?
"I am a power forward. I play 'four', sometimes I play in the post. Usually the girls that play the 'five' are bigger and heavier than me, so I used to play a little bit more outside as a 'four', a power forward. I love shooting!"
Which Hoop District team could be the trickiest to face?
"Oh, this is a tough question. Maybe the Spanish team. In Spain, basketball is big, so maybe they're ready for the war. I'll go with the Spanish team."
What does it mean for you to be a team captain?
"I've never been a captain of a team because of my behavior and who I am. I'm really emotional, I get angry, I get sad sometimes, I get mad sometimes, so I'm really emotional. Every time the coach was looking for a captain, he didn't choose me, so this is my first time. It will be a challenge for me to stay quiet and try to do my best for my teammates. They're all friends, though, so I'll try to do my best!"