We started from Lecce and will soon arrive in the last of the Italian Go Isla Go stages: Bolzano! On the saddle of our bike we have covered kilometers, climbed mountains, skirted beautiful beaches and above all we met a lot of solidarity. In Italy our supporters and volunteers are very active, in every city they hosted Francesco, organized small events for us, solidarity aperitifs, charity concerts and supported the Isla ng Bata campaign to cover the costs of food in the Family home.
Unity is strength and, in these initiatives more than in others, it becomes a real engine that gives us the energy to continue despite the tiredness of thousands of kilometers traveled.
«I met volunteers that I had not seen for years, boys and girls who passed through our Family home and who I have now found grown up and perhaps with children. I do not deny that I felt a little “older”, but then I thought that I am cycling for more than 6,000km and I immediately felt young», jokes Francesco. And he adds: «The fact of finding so much solidarity really gives me strength to continue on this path. I feel like in a whirlwind of emotions and fatigue. In Italy I spent every moment of my story telling. I talked about the girls in the house and the difficulties they have had in these two years, I explained why it is so important for us to guarantee the coverage of the costs of food for three years, about the projects we have in the drawer but which at the moment we cannot start at all because the costs are many and we must give ourselves priorities. They listened to me and asked me many questions and I find this to be a good sign: interest and not indifference as often happens».
«In these stages I have also had special encounters. One day, for example, while I was pedaling through the streets of Mantua, I noticed a boy painting something on a wall. There was an explosion of colors, a cake, some fruit. I approached him to compliment him and then I discovered that the boy is a famous street artist who covers the hate writings and swastikas scattered around the walls of various cities with images of food. It seemed like a wonderful coincidence that he covered hatred with food and I took a ride just to cover the costs of food in the family home. I wanted to take a shot with him to capture that beautiful scene».
«Also in Mantua then I found some supporters who have become a second family for me over the years. Ermes and Santa, who welcome me every time as if I were a step-son and who in recent years have always worked hard to support the girls we welcome».
«Like them, there are so many people that I like to call Isla’s big family. They are faces and hearts close to us and to our cause with which true relationships of esteem and friendship are established. I met Vanna and Marco in Vicenza, met Silvia, Laura and Andrea in Mantua, Elisa our civil lawyer in 2019 in Clusone together with a large group of professional cyclists who gave me a hard time during that stage. I met Ida a well-known TV personality in Italy who took our cause to heart and decided to talk about it also through her channels, I was interviewed and I met mayors and councils of some of the municipalities that I have crossed and many many other beautiful souls. This ride is giving me so many emotions, I hope it will be the same in the next foreign stages and that we can, together, achieve this great goal – Go Isla Go!».