Laureus announce first project in Rome

October 24, 2012

Laureus Academy Member Mark Spitz, the 7-time Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer, has been in Rome to announce the first Laureus project to be based in the Italian capital.

Thanks to the continuing support of Mercedes-Benz, the new branch of the Laureus Polisportiva project, which already works across Italy in areas such as Milan and Naples, will continue work helping children from the country’s most disadvantaged areas.

Spitz was joined in the announcement by Italian swimming star Filippo Magnini, who is a two-time world champion in the 100 metre freestyle, and up-and-coming swimmer Luca Dotti.

The new swimming project, which is called A-Roma, will primarily work with a group of ten young people and will not only offer swimming facilities but benefit from the coaches of the famous Italian swimming group LarusNuoto.

The Polisportiva is a wide-reaching project with sport at its heart. Through the group of projects in the network, sports projects are brought into collaboration with qualified teachers to promote educational opportunities, while psychologists also assure the mental well-being of the young participants as they progress.