SIDELINES: CLAUDIO CANESSA
Last November 3rd, runner, life coach and yoga teacher Claudio Canessa, ran the New York Marathon barefoot. FILA Museum Foundation happily sponsored him. Today, we recap the event from the sidelines. Like FILA, Canessa is a Biella native. He told us about his adventure in the Big Apple, the benefits of running barefoot and his future plans.
Hello Claudio, welcome to the blog! Please introduce yourself.
Claudio Canessa: Good morning to all the readers and supporters of the FILA Museum Foundation! My name is Claudio Canessa, and I am a fitness fanatic. After 29 years working in Biella’s textile industry, I became an instructor in a local gym, which decided my future. Eleven years ago, I resigned and became the owner of my own gym – my life ambition. I teach with passion. I love to make people smile and I run for love.
You ran the legendary New York City Marathon entirely barefoot. What can you tell us about the experience?
CC: Running the New York City Marathon barefoot was something I would never have imagined. It was a moment of great intimacy with the city itself. It was like tiptoeing into her room, lying down beside her and, holding her hand, contemplating the stars. But, poetry aside, it was overwhelmingly emotional. The atmosphere and welcome from two million spectators was like a 40 km-long embrace. Despite the din of voices in the crowds, I could only hear my breath. I listened only to my heart. I can sum up this experience in two words: poetry and joy. The reason for this rapture is to be found, as Professor Giuseppe Iannoccari explained, through the sensation of having contact with the ground. A feeling that goes straight to the brain, bypassing rational filters. This explains the sense of joy in running the New York Marathon without shoes, which, by the way, coincided with my 60th birthday.
Walking barefoot signifies a desire for a greater connection with nature. Where does this instinct come from and what benefits does it bring?
CC: Professor Iannoccari says: ‘If sight enables us to look at the world, feet enable us to feel it. When you walk barefoot, you feel the world. You listen to it and you respect it. By offering yourself to the world without ‘protection’ and you become part of a bigger picture. You understand that the world has welcomed you, it is not you who dominates it. You are not allowed to abuse it. And so you return to Mother Earth, like the old Indian Chief who, after taking off his moccasins, crosses the prairie and is healed. Or like the Tai Chi master who practices the warrior’s dance barefoot, arms raised and feet bare, connecting heaven and earth. Here, smells become sweet, noises become musical notes and you smile at life.
In addition to your running activities, you are also a writer….
CC: Yes, I like to relax and give voice to my literary streak. In 2013 I published In forma perfetta dopo i primi 40 anni, a technical-scientific text focused on psychophysical well-being. I have a second book in the pipeline, a surreal novel with contemporary themes. It is interwoven with emotions and mystery, which have always driven human action. It’s half fiction and half a motivational essay. Not only that, it will be an important case study!
In New York City you ran with the support of several companies from Biella, including the FILA Museum Foundation. FILA has historic links to the event. For example, for Germán Silva’s sponsorship in 1995. What is your relationship with brands in general?
CC: Partnering with the companies that supported me in New York was an unusual experience. It was a new thing for me.
Sponsoring an ‘unknown’, was a big leap of faith. There were no guarantees. Wearing their logos egged me on and made me surprisingly determined. It was like Cinderella’s ball. I returned to Italy with a joyful heart and wonderful memories.
And who knows, since I love to dream, I don’t rule out that one day, a knight in shining armour may turn up, to give this fairytale a completely unexpected ending.
