BOCCHI Tobia

General
FROM RUGBY TO ATHLETICS
His father and grandfather were both rugby players at national club level in Italy and he believes the team spirit and respect for opponents he nurtured playing the sport from age seven to 14 has benefited his athletics career. "Rugby is still a game that transmits indescribable emotions to me and still gives me a craving to take the field. I have so much nostalgia for this wonderful sport that is capable of transmitting values that are very difficult to find in many other sports. However, I am very happy with my choice to compete in athletics which is giving me a lot of satisfaction. Practising an individual sport is obviously very different, with many pros and cons. On the one hand, success falls all on your shoulders, but failure does too, without any excuses. In a team sport, the responsibility for wins and losses is distributed among all the players and I really miss the team spirit of rugby and the bonds that are created with teammates. I think the most important thing rugby taught me is to respect your opponents. The concept of team spirit has also served me well in athletics because the approach you need when you find yourself competing in the national team is totally different from that of those who have always only practised individual sports." (rugbyparma.it, 15 Mar 2021)

FURTHER EDUCATION
He studied for a degree in computer science at University of California, Los Angeles in the United States of America for two years before returning to Italy to complete his degree at the University of Parma. He has also studied for a master's degree. (tokyo2020.coni.it, 27 Jun 2021; LinkedIn profile, 01 Jan 2020)