TO BECOME A HERO AT THE SÜDTIROL DOLOMITES
HERO Südtirol Dolomites
Every HERO has a story. We have gathered your stories — authentic, powerful, and full of passion. Stories that inspire us and make the HERO Dolomites so much more than just a race. This is why we want to share them with you: to celebrate every pedal stroke, every challenge overcome, every finish line crossed with heart. Do you have your own HERO story to tell? Share your heroic emotions with us at info@herodolomites.com and become part of this legend.
A hit and run, the ambulance’s siren. Filippo has only one dream: to come back and finish the HERO. A dream which resulted in an extraordinary physical rebirth.
Looking at my calendar, I see I haven’t missed a HERO since 2017. It’s become a pleasant, yearly ritual, one I share with close friends and our families. A ceremony nobody wants to give up – because the HERO isn’t just about the race. It’s about what comes before and after. “Aren’t you fed up…?” is what some people ask me. My reply? Every year feels like a new one, because the experience is always new. Seven special editions – but the one I remember most intensely is the 2022 edition, which marks my rebirth.
The day was 18 August, 2021. I was training, as usual, when I’m involved in a hit and run. We never found him, while I was admitted to the hospital with a broken pelvis. A physical and mental setback. While in hospital, I’m overwhelmed by the feeling I’ve lost, that I’ll never cycle again. Two months of recovery between hospital beds and a wheelchair but, as soon as I’m discharged, something in me changes quickly. And I dive (so to speak) to sign up to the HERO. There are only six, seven months to D-day and I know I’ll be able to compete. My family and friends all share the same opinion: I’ve completely lost it. No, I haven’t – I’m in love with life and I’m enraged about what happened. I want to start a new chapter and (re)conquer my HERO, yet again.
I’ve crossed the finish line in Selva: I’ve made it. It wasn’t easy but I didn’t give up. On the drive back home, I look out of the window as I already dream about my next HERO.
Filippo Moro
