di LIDDO Elena

General
LOSS OF BROTHER
Her brother Silvio died when she was age 16 and she says that his loss has helped put her swimming defeats into perspective. "The loss of my brother was something that made me grow up a lot. I didn't lose just a brother. He was also a life partner for me. We did everything together, especially swimming. Since then I have understood truly that you only have one life. It was such a great pain that it made me realise what really matters and what doesn't. That is definitely the strength which has allowed me to carry on. I don't hide that when I lose a race I cry, because I care. But, after that moment, I can turn the page and move on. That's why I got a semicolon tattooed on my wrist. Many people tell me that I am a smiling and positive person and I'm glad. I don't think anyone needs to be sulky and surround themselves with negativity. It won't get you anywhere." (nuoto.com, 21 Nov 2019; bari.repubblica.it, 17 Nov 2010; federnuotopuglia.it, 19 Apr 2010)

FURTHER STUDIES
She graduated with a master's degree in preventive and adapted exercise science from the University of Foggia in Italy in 2020. She previously completed a bachelor's degree in exercise science at the university, with a thesis on sports psychology and mental coaching techniques. "I am absolutely convinced that mental coaching, especially in a sport like swimming where the results are really difficult to achieve, affects 80% of the performance, whether the athlete is physically at their peak or not. Training in a mental tranquility is vital, whether it is in order to face periods of hard training, or a very important competition. The presence of a mental coach in our sport is not yet common and it is a shame because sometimes it could be a great support." (foggiareporter.it, 24 Apr 2020; nuoto.com, 21 Nov 2019)