A torn ACL became a turning point in identity, not just in sport

Tiago Cicchetti, 19, from Verona, describes a recent cruciate ligament rupture as far more than a physical setback: 'Initially it was a physical failure, an emotional one, but above all an identity one.' During rehabilitation he did what he considers the hardest thing — he analyzed every broken piece to understand how to rebuild something more solid. Entrepreneurs call it a post-mortem; he simply did it. The result was powerful: he rebuilt his identity with a smile, and holds onto the conviction that 'someday I will be grateful for having torn my ACL.' The injury, in other words, became the lesson no book could have taught him.