Pietro’spath intocompetitivediving began almostby accident.At five years old, afterfailing to connectwithother sports, his mum took him to try diving. From the moment he steppedonto thepoolside,somethingclicked.He loved it instantly—andunlikemany young athletes,he never feltthe urge tostop. At the time, he had no ideajust how far the sport mighttake him. For several years, diving was simply somethingPietroenjoyed. That changed around the age of twelve,when he began to see the sport not just as a passion, butas a possibility.He became more competitive, startedenteringlarger regionaland nationalcompetitions,and pushed himselfharder in training.Last year marked another major step forward: his first internationalcompetitions.
Back home in Italy, Pietrohas already testedhimself against the best. He has competedagainst world champions and is preparing to move intoa new competitivecategory when he returns—one thatwillsee him diving against Olympians. He competedas part of the Carabinieri(Italianpolice)divingteam, an environment that demands disciplineand professionalism.
Ambition, for Pietro, isn’t abouttitlesalone.His goal is
Embracing that change has made a noticeable simple butdemanding: to keep improving. Since arriving in the UK, he has been learninga different styleof diving, contrary to what he was taught back home. Training is more intenseand more explicitlygeared towards becominga professionalathlete,requiring notjust physical adaptation,but a completeshiftin mindset. difference.The mentaldisciplinehe has developed has alreadybegun to translateintostronger performances in competition.
that the distancebetweenschools and elitediving facilities would make trainingimpractical.The UK, by contrast, offered
There was also a personal connection.Pietro’sformer coach environment.His coach in Italywas disappointedto lose him mindset.More importantly,Pietrowas encouragedto use the
Lifeat Itchenis demanding but purposeful. Pietrouses his free periods to trainat The Quays, oftencompletingdouble diving sessions during the day and returningagain at weekends.
Evenings are reserved for studyingand developinghis business interests,a balancethat requires disciplineand careful time management.
Joininga new diving teamwas initiallyoverwhelming. The mindset, trainingculture, and expectationswere completely differentfrom what Pietrowas used to. But withina few Southampton, introducinghim to the citybeyond bond withhis teammates,who not only supported him in trainingbutalso helped him settleintolife in the pool.
weeks, those differencesbecamestrengths. He began to
His progress was testedlast term at the LondonLegacy Open, a high-levelcompetition featuringprofessionaldivers. Among a fieldof 30 athletes,Pietrofinished witha remarkable score of 350 —an impressive result in such a competitiveenvironment.In testamentto his development sincearriving inthe UK, Pietroeven participatedin the ScottishNationals, finishing7th on the 3m platform, 6th on the 10m, and 5th on the 1m.
Lookingahead, Pietro’sfutureremains open, but his commitmentto diving is unwavering. He plans toreturn toItaly tocompletehigh school,while weighinghis next stepscarefully. Optionsincludea universityscholarshipin the UnitedStates or continuinghis educationat a European university.Whichever path he chooses, one thingis certain:diving will remain centralto his life.
“I want to see what I’m capableof,” Pietrosays.
