TERMOLI. In the Schweitzer school gym, not only the 2026 Regional Archery Championship is being held. In Termoli, these days, an ancient, noble and profoundly modern discipline is being celebrated: a sport that makes no noise, but leaves its mark.
An important event for the city’s archery community, organized by the “Arcieri del Mare”, a company from Termoli that has been pursuing passion, sacrifice and love for a sport that educates before competing for 28 years. A partnership that we have always followed, because here we are not just talking about results, but about values.
We took the opportunity of the competition to listen to Roberto Pietrantonio, one of the founding fathers of the group, who still today, bow in hand, demonstrates how archery has no age: it is a choice of balance, concentration, respect for the rules and for oneself. Every arrow is a life lesson: you make mistakes, you correct them, you start again.
But the real sign of hope comes from the youngest face of this day: Grazia Selvaggio, from Termoli, just 18 years old, making her official race debut. With a bow in her shoulder and arrows in her quiver, Grazia made an unconventional choice: she put down her cell phone, turned off her computer, freed her mind. And he found in sport not only a discipline, but a space for breathing, for concentration, for inner strength.
Archery isn’t just about hitting a target. It’s learning to listen to yourself. It’s dominating anxiety. It’s building patience in a world that runs too fast. It’s training the body without losing the soul.
We want to say it clearly to the young people of Termoli: real passions still exist, which cannot be downloaded from an app and do not end with a notification. Here you grow, you make mistakes, you improve. Here you learn to look straight ahead and aim decisively towards your goals.
The Sea Archers are not just a sports club: they are a school of life. And if today a girl like Grazia has chosen to stretch a rope instead of scrolling a screen, then this sport has already won its most important challenge. Because every arrow shot is not just sport: it is character, it is discipline, it is freedom.
Side note (personal but sincere)
I confess: after describing this day, a strange temptation came to me. Put down the keyboard, stop making a fuss about words and try saying something with an arrow. Maybe the first will end up on the wall, the second on the floor and the third… who knows. But if archery can give you concentration, calm and even a little morale, then it’s worth a try. On the other hand, if you have to make mistakes, it’s better to do so by aiming high.
Michele Trombetta
