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Behind the scenes of one of the world's best synchro teams


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(Credits: Hot Shivers - 2023)

The Italian Hot Shivers team was recently the centrepiece of a film. "Se cado mi rialzo" ("If I fall, I get up") is a one-day trip with the skaters and coach Andrea Gilardi during the Spring Cup. The video promotes the sport and its journey towards the Olympic Games.

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The short film was born from a project of the Italian Department of Youth Policies and sports department and produced by Cinemadamare, thanks to the support of the Cariplo, to promote sport and the "Olympic generation" in view of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympics. 

"They chose synchronized skating, even though it is not yet an Olympic sport, precisely to give visibility and a push so that it can become one soon, as well as being the representative team of Milan", said the team.

"Music, speed, skill and synchrony make synchronization a unique show"
The video describes the emotions, tension and expectations experienced during a synchro competition.

"A window onto our wonderful discipline, where art, grace and the union of music, speed, skill and synchrony make synchronization a unique show. “Se cado mi rialzo” is not just the title of the documentary; it represents the spirit with which to face training and competitions every day; it contains the strength and confidence that every athlete must find in herself and her teammates; a great team effort resulting from long preparation work, training and team spirit", explained the team. 

The video has been shot by Luca De Benedetti and Simone Panattoni. Both the Senior and Junior teams took part in the documentary, filmed during the Spring Cup at the Palasesto in Sesto S. Giovanni.

The filmmakers were at their first experience in the world of synchronized skating, yet they were able to capture the nature and emotions of this discipline, collaborating with the teams and the coach Andrea Gilardi.



Alessandra (Senior Team): “It was exciting to see in a professional film all the work and commitment that every day we have in training. You can see from the outside what you can't during the competition and let go of the emotions you have to keep under control."

Viviana (Senior Captain): "The film tells about the uniqueness of being part of a team, but not only that: the people you share moments with on the ice slowly become part of your life. Every day you learn more and more to know every aspect of your companions' characters, respecting every facet of them. In the film, it is said that 'where I can't reach, there are my companions who try for me', and this is exactly what we try to do every day. Weaknesses are not failures. Each one needs the other and so, a team is built on the basis of the uniqueness of each one. We work hard to achieve the results we plan for, both athletes and coaches.The speech of our coach Andrea where he says, 'we can't prove it next time, we have to do it here and now' is the kind of motivation we need to remind ourselves who we are and what we want to achieve."

Elena (Senior Team): "When they told us they were going to make a film about us we couldn't believe it, it was such a great honour to be part of such a project. We could never have imagined that it would be a masterpiece, a journey through our fragilities and our strengths that demonstrates what it means to be a Hot Shivers. At the premiere of the film we were all teary-eyed, those who made the recordings managed to capture exactly what our team means to us: family. 'Se cado mi rialzo' fully represents the approach we have in facing obstacles, helping each other and never losing sight of the goal, working until the last second to achieve."

The short film was previewed at the Cinema Anteo in Milan, in the presence of Martina Riva, Councilor for Sport, Tourism and Youth Policies of the Municipality of Milan, and representatives of the Cariplo Foundation.

This initiative represents another attempt to show that synchronized skating deserves to become an Olympic sport. "This project is very important for us and for the entire synchronized movement, a push to ensure that it finally has the visibility it deserves."