<center><h2>Life's getting hard for me right now cause this is gonna be the post about shot #4 from my [introduction](https://hive.blog/introduceyourself/@flewsplash/flewsplash-here-new-on-hive-very-excited-i-gotta-say) and it's definitely the toughest. </h2>
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<center>https://images.hive.blog/DQmTHU3KPUFFbS5gAWpqF8E6kUNNx5ncRncMLi8EKGvuAbv/34728536_1839431756123120_1802160473446023168_o.jpg <br> <sub>4 | Gladiators in action </sub> </center>

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I've always been sporty. I've been swimming for more than 20 years now, 12 of which competitively.  I also love sailing and can surf a little, but I'll write a full post on the sports I personally practice. Instead today I wanna share my experience as not only a lover but a <b>worker</b> in the context of sports.

<br>I started working as <i>sport photographer</i>in 2017 for my Alma Mater, an American University in Rome. It's just impossible to explain by words what taking photos of athletes really means to me; mostly because as a alumna of the school, I knew most of the students playing in the sports teams, and when a photographer knows the subjects of her work, her job changes into a game to play, more than just a job.

Also, you should know that our school Mascot, as we are based in Rome, is a <i>Gladiator</i>, which makes all of us who belong to the Athletics Dpt. real Gladiators. A Gladiator is strong, never gives up, and fights till the end: all these are the values that make our Athletics team so <b>proud</b> and me so <b><i>grateful</i></b> to be part of that. 
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<center>
https://images.hive.blog/DQmSZYkCmnRsLFbShP789SgWNJnF2pqahabD96r2CRGz6ej/74226614_2667384549994499_1333583750520373248_o.jpg <br> <sub> 4.1 | Part of the Athletics fam - me? Behind the camera </sub> </center>

<h3> Pandemic and stuff </h3>


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Recently I got basically <b> fired </b> but no one says that way. So let's say I've been kindly told to stop working till  the day the School will have enough money and will to let the Athletics Department be active and working again. Whatever that means I and all my collegues lost our job.

It's a pain in the ass, not only because I literally just <b>survive</b> nowadays, but because I was deprived of the chance to represent and work for some students who deeply deserve an Athletics Dpt. to be there for them, to support them, especially during these hard times we're all living.

<i>I miss my job</i>, of course, but I miss the best part of it: <b>fun, experience, traveling</b>.
This is all I miss...


I don't want to complain or focus on how bad the pandemic is from all possible perspectives: we all know that well and I'm not here to share negativity.
Instead I'd love you to look at my pictures and think of them as part of a story we'll be back to live again. Soon (hopefully). Not just practicing some team sports and play championships games; we'll be back traveling, having fun together with new people we meet, <b>simply living as opposed to merely surviving</b>. </div>


<h3> Back to the future || with a lot of pics [and this is just a small selection] </h3>
<div class="pull-right"><sub>Do you think it's pathetic to look back at the work done so far and to feel nostalgic about it? I don't want you to misunderstand though: a job is a job, and by that I mean it's not all rosy.
<b>Being a sport photographer means working in the cold, in the rain, late at night, freezing in the wet air of a soccer field, running the risk of breaking the camera or a lens while working at a small volleyball court... and so on</b>. But the fun thing is that <i>we all see only the result of the photographer's job</i>: so here it is. </sub>
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<center>https://images.hive.blog/DQmTSFj2i6Ybds7p755fuF3QM6K4v2ztEB84z1YexWpJxrD/53520573_2232162966849995_7267347314967052288_o.jpg <br><sub> 4.2 | Flying soccer players </sub>
 </center>

<center>https://images.hive.blog/DQmeKRFYYW3Qtx69LYwhAL8nWyAUynSP1aKJcJt6Wh3VpKU/44665755_2035119836554310_1810336811277352960_o.jpg<br><sub>4.3 | Gladiators take Abruzzo </sub></center>
<center> https://images.hive.blog/DQmPXvaJ2nsD7EkkZNHpGirBz6KSn83T4z1HaHFQEGKg4BG/75462432_2652859584780329_8634250622905876480_o.jpg <br> <sub> 4.4 | Cheering Cherleaders </sub>
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<center>https://images.hive.blog/DQmbHKWcSSCX8pU7FDtdeaSn22tw3YBZigPHfWPZCotUgWj/87296229_2906472619419023_3095284060080046080_o.jpg<br> <sub>4.5 | Flying Gladiator </sub></center>
<center>https://images.hive.blog/DQmPC9LpEYfzPNgMmY9fA4H8EhG3a2bG87ByyAiCg1nr5yY/66054519_2429491173783839_601727907466838016_o.jpg<br> <sub> 4.5 | Smiling Gladiators </sub></center>
<center>https://images.hive.blog/DQmckuUnatCZcfc6ir98ZHcseYVPwxhX3uhcYxHNVF39FhY/86874653_2900314156701536_8334611288902598656_o.jpg <br> <sub> 4.6 | Fighting Gladiators </sub></center>
<center> https://images.hive.blog/DQmcQtnt5TSwmqEUi5wNymv1rYAyCuW5mu8pR6GDMzobmcN/44576935_2035121089887518_3588451210237050880_o.jpg<br> <sub> 4.7 | Into the wild </sub></center>
<center> https://images.hive.blog/DQmWcRtDamFTpjwm5g89Dr3jF5k5rEqjcVJCwwhaEZyEYaQ/86615291_2906776299388655_5489878574145994752_o.jpg <br> <sub> 4.7 | Cheering Cherleader pt.2 </sub></center>
<center>https://images.hive.blog/DQmaR1QZ1WsM8z77wBPjhjuvTPXXandPt8w9PLJwYZkCQPk/76697365_2708399445893009_588578268089679872_o.jpg<br> <sub> 4.8 | Gladiators take Pula</sub></center>
<center> https://images.hive.blog/DQmP14T1eDqaDKTCcXmtuwN2H42ai4baeA1grNkF6jToHtv/56264375_2271431239589834_6154444030701731840_o.jpg <br> <sub> 4.9 | Rare example of Flewsplash racing (and working) in Athens for the Gladiators</sub></center>

<center>https://images.hive.blog/DQmdMaYxUPCbw5nydnjhpksQCPdiyxLbJkvVfxnkA5GWiwg/88302162_2918953294837622_8986476591588573184_o.jpg<br> <sub>4.1a | Smiling lady Gladiators </sub></center>

<center>https://images.hive.blog/DQmTtA9RG7GsKP8doFucsaGML3w4ErVi94EdKa2GBNajzYg/87598114_2923434594389492_98831492448256000_o.jpg <br> <sub> 4.2a | Gladiators gathering </sub></center>

<center> https://images.hive.blog/DQmUKeNJEPNNXdVSBDDLzPw2CJPY3Kv9s7NuhAAStktBLL5/66632054_2437822016284088_6744006653756047360_o.jpg<br> <sub> 4.3a | That's foul </sub> </center>

<center> https://images.hive.blog/DQmS5372YbvtMbSoWDdRPetSUoG6XgwrrsaRgzt8pXdjgui/87960678_2914894291910189_2238187477481291776_o.jpg<br> <sub> 4.4a | "1,2, 3 phregna!"</sub> </center>

<center> https://images.hive.blog/DQmZb57zNYQornmpKmtRwHGJrdTZm8Hg86szfbyYNRw2qtB/82353197_2832278836838402_6691324559133507584_o.jpg<br> <sub> 4.5a | Championship Trophy Mirroring</sub></center>
<center> https://images.hive.blog/DQmVwhHkjywrhU1QTxsssbZiMGVHqdPBMtf5s2fNYDcCM2p/44493371_2035120963220864_4989628112384819200_o.jpg<br> <sub> 4.6a | That's supposed to be the heart-shape lake </sub></center>


<center>https://images.hive.blog/DQmSefVbToBaGtMWgMJLobZByNiB3ZxH6N8QpN1pv1UFVj2/82466152_2832277073505245_8844020162832105472_o.jpg<br> <sub> 4.7a | Gladiators' selfie </sub></center>


<center> https://images.hive.blog/DQmRqHjKUXrfZQFrHE3RGJstJ2PpavKKgnX3hEb7idhn8ks/86970640_2904384902961128_9201986870701981696_o.jpg<br> <sub> 4.7a | Lady Gladiators fighting </sub></center>
<center>https://images.hive.blog/DQmXcwwe2sPCGEMx8TMiRsLs421A8ExncnXEGJTzPJC4wXf/44560282_2035120083220952_652284714832363520_o.jpg<br> <sub> 4.8a | Jumping Gladiator </sub></center>
<center>https://images.hive.blog/DQmViH57RYL1YmedEeS5kovn5facLzEv5R5V8WvTCoY1sGP/76705091_2708389712560649_8176145056017678336_o.jpg <br> <sub> 4.9a | Definitely foul! </sub> </center>

<center>https://steemitimages.com/500x5000/https://images.hive.blog/DQmNRhXqTqeQsqeZveK8vzEZNtGqpboPXExKkhc9az1qLpw/86935402_2906471302752488_7529497021904846848_o.jpg<br> <sub> 4.1b | Block! </sub></center>
<div class="pull-left"> https://steemitimages.com/500x5000/https://images.hive.blog/DQmeANpftBgSrcowwPy2pZDVSddzDJtiaeNNXunUXwVKZK8/42617836_2002895369776757_6926416350063624192_o.jpg<br><sub>4.2b | Sailing Crew, rare example of Flewsplash, again </sub></div> 
<div class="pull-right"> https://steemitimages.com/500x5000/https://images.hive.blog/DQmWwkBu4Jjc36LqK9PDS2fUXpycGedPriAeDnCrfYiXjiA/82954596_2858998980833054_2668017951809994752_o.jpg<br> <sub>4.3b | What a tennis player (on Sundays)</sub> 

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<br>https://steemitimages.com/500x5000/https://images.hive.blog/DQmQyXhUb7KJNrJ4pdafiyNvbwYuUfMyX96uh4mG8XCxY9f/86840844_2906470849419200_3556552148827242496_o.jpg  <br> <sub> 4.4b | Attack! </sub></div>

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<div class="pull-right"> https://images.hive.blog/DQmRizVxJG6q8BbBdfWmK9A14UqZCqF4a7ifbeKYxbMMbj9/88224487_2929518700447748_2489279185525145600_o.jpg<br> <sub> 4.5b | Shoot! </sub>

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<center>
https://images.hive.blog/DQma5PdtAdpoAxZZNmaS2HMeyTSyozom55FD5mE1vFF1oxb/83827102_2832279046838381_1867298746321076224_o.jpg <br> <sub> 4.6b | Rare example of Flewsplash and her collegue Camilla working at an orientation event</sub></center>

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<h3> Am I <i>pathetic </i>  for real? </h3> 
You think this post is just an emotional throwback? Well, you're probably right. It's very true what they say: <i><b>only when you lose something you realize how much it meant to you</b></i>.

So far, I feel <i>lucky</i>: at least my job makes me look back at the things I lost in such a charming way I can't definitely complain at all. But now I wonder: are photos and memories the only means by which we can re-live the past?

<b>I hope instead we'll be back to it, in a new way: back to <i> life.</i> </b>
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<div class="pull-right"><sub>Please, feel free to share your thoughts about what you lost because of the pandemic, or just a comment on the photos you like the most from this post. What you think about sport photography?</sub></div>