Then and now: Olympic cyclist to marathon runner

by Senior Airman Matthew Lotz
31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs

10/24/2014 - AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy -- "Thousands of people stood in the stands, cameras flashed from every angle and people were screaming at the top of their lungs because it was the Olympics," he said. "I get goose bumps every time I think about standing in that line, anxious, but also nervous, waiting to compete.

"Then all I heard was: 'Representing Canada, Gianni Vignaduzzi,'" he said with a smile.

Gianni Vignaduzzi, 31st Security Forces Squadron operations liaison, was a cyclist in the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games, in which he represented his home country, Canada.

Born in Montreal, Vignaduzzi's parents emigrated from Italy to find work. Growing up in Canada, Vignaduzzi tried his hand at hockey and other sports, but at the age of 14 he fully committed to cycling, following in his father's footsteps.

Showing the same passion his father once had for the sport as a competitive cyclist in Italy, Vignaduzzi joined a local cycling club and in 1984, competed in his first big cycling race, the Junior World Championships in France.

"The other sports helped me with my coordination, and ligaments, which made me become more flexible," he said. "It also didn't hurt that I obtained team spirit and a competitive edge as well."

Vignaduzzi's competitiveness and dedication in the junior division elevated him to the next level -- amateur. After competing in the 1987 Union Cyclist International Track World Championship, a competition that recognizes world champion cyclists, he was ranked 8th in the world as an amateur.

"My father told me how hard I had to work for this sport," he said. "There was a lot of time, dedication and commitment that went into my training that got me to 8th in the world."

Now ranked, Vignaduzzi was invited to represent his home in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. Although his team did not place, he says the experience is what he will remember forever.

"For [my cycling team] the Olympics were just another world championship for us," he explained. "We had world championships every year, but the difference was the amount of exposure the Olympics brought us."

Vignaduzzi continued to race with a Canadian team as an amateur before signing a professional contract with an Italian team, a day after the 1992 Olympics. This kept him in Italy permanently.

After competing in the Vuelta a Espana (Tour of Spain) and Tour de Suisse (Tour of Switzerland), but never reaching the Tour de France, he moved on. Still driven to compete, this time the competition is more against himself in a different sport - marathon running.

"Cycling is more against you and the rest of the pack, while marathon racing is you against yourself and the clock," he explained. "There are competitors in running marathons, but overall you are competing against yourself."

Now at the age of 48, the Italian-Canadian will soon reach his 20-year anniversary working at Aviano and continues to share his story with his fellow SFS Airmen, to remind them of the importance of their work.

"Keeping active as an Airman and knowing what to eat is very important to performing at your maximum level," the former Olympian said. "Remember that food is the fuel for your mind and body, and putting bad stuff into your body isn't helping."

Vignaduzzi says Aviano is a perfect location for people who want to exercise because it is a natural gym; it has hills, flats and high mountains where people can bike, run, hike or cycle.

"Don't always run on a treadmill, especially when you have a whole new culture to experience," he explained. "When I run, I see farmers plowing their land, beautiful houses, vineyards and locals going to get groceries on their bicycles. That keeps running interesting. It clears my mind and makes the run physically challenging while also, making it spiritually and mentally fitting for me."

While he always suggests running and cycling as a great way to keep active, Vignaduzzi also encourages those around him to make sure that whatever they do, make it something they are enthusiastic about.

"Like I said before, the greatest moment for me was representing my country," he said. "It took me eight years of training to represent for that one time, whereas for service members, they put on that uniform and get to represent their nation every day."