Water polo record in Palermo: Antonio Coglitore in the pool at 58 years old

ROME – While high-level water polo celebrates itself with the dispute of the Champions Final Eight, a story arrives from Sicily that demonstrates how it is really never too late to become, or go back to being, athletes. In fact, a small record was consumed in Serie B, because in the Palermo derby WP Palermo-La Braceria Cus Palermo, finished 10-13, made his debut in the goal of the hosts Antonio Coglitore. What’s special about it? The fact that Coglitore, a chartered accountant by profession and who teaches business management at the University of Palermo, Fin delegate for Sicily, goes for 58 years (he was born in 1963) and has therefore established a record of longevity in the tank.

All in the name of passion for a sport he had already been a protagonist of in the mid-eighties. At the time, in fact, he was playing between the posts of the Calidarium, “when – he says – we won the Serie B championship and we were the first team from Palermo to reach Serie A”. The desire to return to the pool when he was over 50, and 17 years after his competitive retirement in 2004, «was born for fun and from a bet with a friend of mine. At first, they took me for crazy, but after a day we were already drawing up a detailed plan for physical recovery ». Starting to train again in October last year, thanks to the help of trainers Rita Pellerito and Fabrizio Mantia, Coglitore in the gym lost 25 kilos, and in particular 30% of fat mass while recovering 15% of muscle mass. Obviously, there was also the return to the tub, “where some call me her, and if you play with guys who could almost be your grandchildren it’s not nice – jokes Coglitore -. But the thing that amazed me more than me the same was the desire to regain competitive energy and adrenaline. ”Yes, for sport, with the necessary precautions, it is never too late.