Francesca Banchi

Skier

When I was 3, I started skiing down the slopes of Sestriere, at first trained by my father and then by a ski club that initiated me into competition.

In my sport career, I have always qualified for national competitions (Gran Premio Giovanissimi, Pinocchio sugli sci, Alpe Cimbra/Folgaria and Zoncolan), passing provincial and regional selections in both slalom and giant slalom.

During the 2021/2022 season, I was invited to the “Top 50” competitions held in Pila (Aosta Valley), based on the Children Series ranking of the best 50 skiers in Italy by category, where I ranked 10th in the giant slalom.

I began this season with provincial qualifications, where I ranked 4th in giant slalom (Memorial Roberto Marino) and 4th in Sestriere. In addition, I’ve gained a 6th and a 7th place at the Alpe Cimbra regional selection in Bielmonte in giant slalom and special slalom, thus obtaining the qualification for the national race again.

Since I attended primary school, I have always managed to combine training and competitions with school tasks, despite facing sacrifices and difficulties

Felix Baldi

Skiing

I started skiing when I was three years old – just for fun was the plan. But soon my parents discovered that I had higher ambitions and at the age of five I started to train in a ski club, which meant participating in competitions and training hard.

In my sports career I have always been quite successful, qualifying every year for national competitions. Two examples of my acquisitions are: Two years ago, I arrived 2nd at the National competition Pinocchio in Giant Slalom, while last year I arrived 4th in the Super-G at the National Competition Campionati Italiani Ponte di Legno for my age.

I will start off this season with the TOP 50- Competition in Pila, where the best 50 skiers of Italy of each category are invited to participate.

Managing training and school is not always easy, but so far I was able to succeed in both. Obviously, this means hard work and sacrifices, but also many useful and fulfilling experiences and satisfactions. Thanks to WINS and its athlete friendly program, I can now improve more in both academics and sport and facilitate the mixture of these two very important aspects in my life.

Last but not least, another big passion of mine is the subject of mathematics and last year, despite not having much time for preparation, I arrived 56^th national wide in the Kangourou Competition of Mathematics.

Brayden Zumstein

Basketball

I started playing basketball at the age of 3 and it has been my passion ever since. I come from a family of basketball players – my mom and dad played as well as my brother and sister. I love playing basketball but also enjoy following the NBA, NCAA and Euroleague.  I have played on select teams in Switzerland and the United States.  My ultimate goal is to play at the University level in the US.  This past year I decided that the best way to continue to challenge myself in my sport was to leave Switzerland and play in another European country with a higher level of competition and more serious training possibilities.  I was given the opportunity to play for Pallacanestro Moncalieri in Turin and I jumped at the chance. This opportunity has helped me to become more independent as well as learning a new language and culture.

This year the team will be participating in tournaments throughout Italy and Europe.

Balancing academics and my sports activities has not always been easy, and I have had to make a lot of sacrifices. However, I recognize the importance of a good education and realize that if I want to reach my basketball goals, good academic results are essential.

I am pleased to be attending WINS and am grateful to be able to combine the rigors and demands of my basketball season with the high academic standards at WINS.  It isn’t easy moving to a new country, learning a new language and attending a new school but I am convinced it will make me more independent and open minded in the future. I am looking forward to the challenges ahead!