Giorgio Cazzaniga, Analyst Programmer and Archer
Hi, I am Giorgio Cazzaniga, a 25-year-old ERP Analyst Programmer. I am also a professional archer, and I have been in the Italian national team for 3 years. I am also passionate about food, culture, and travelling. I started my job in order to view, know and manage many kinds of business, applied to software and IT implementation
Right now, I am still living in Varese, in Northern Italy, where I was born. I think the most unique thing about Varese is the geographical location; I can switch from lakes, mountains, metropolis and sea in a short amount of time.
I started doing archery in 2004, thanks to a state program that promotes students to start doing sports. It was love at first sight! In my past years, my life was completely dedicated to it, training with a bow 6 days per week for 3 or 4 hours each plus physical training. Now I train 3 times per week, close to 2 hours each.
I started it because I was interested in something different from the other mainstream sports like football. In the beginning, I did not have a specific goal except to have fun. Over time my goals grew, and I started wanting to become part of the national team and having the possibility to represent my nation in international events, trying to be the best.
Archery in my life has helped me in many ways, like how to handle emotions in difficult situations, and forcing me to learn what dedication is. Who I am now is also due to this. It is a great outlet because when I am shooting, I clear my mind from all the other stuff going on in my life, resetting it in the process.
To become a great archer, you need dedication and passion. It is not the classical sport that involves only physical strength — 90% of the job is done with the mind, you have to know yourself, to always be in a calm state of mind, without being transported by thoughts and to keep focused on the execution.
Archery is a good method to keep learning and a reminder that everything is an effect of a previous action. Every detail counts, and in the IT sector, probably much more when you are programming or analysing business processes, everything follows that way. It is also useful as an outlet valve to clear my mind. Balance is important as well. High-level archery needs a lot of time to be dedicated towards it. Having a target in my home is the best workaround since it allows me to shoot whenever I want or need!
Shooting for Arcieri Varese, my only club since I started, means a lot to me; the club is like my second family. However, when I shoot for the national, everything is completely different, from the mind set to the environment. It is many times more challenging if approached in the right way, while still finding a way to have fun!
I have considered coaching as well since I have learned many things that I would like to share with other aspiring archers. My advice to those would be to keep focused on your personal goals, dedication is everything, and do it without losing the fun of doing it!
