Athleta #1
Athleta is a new Italian sports magazine based on the first ideal of athletic competition, of surpassing oneself. Published from Verona by photographer Giovanni Gallio it focuses on imagery of sport, with a series of photographic reports from different countries and competitions.
These photo reports are what make the magazine; there are brief texts in both English and Italian but the English translations suffer from being too direct from the original Italian; they feel stilted (perhaps the Italian works better). Happily, the photography makes up for this, with stories ranging from the Norwegian Combined competition – a ski jump followed by a cross country ski race (above, shot by Sara Capovilla) – to Gallio’s own report on Burmese fighters (below) and Kevin Couliau’s more reflecctive series of lonely basketball hoops from around the world (also below).
The main story in the issue is about Bebe Vio, a fencer who lost her legs and fore-arms as a child through meningitis (those are her prosthetic legs on the cover). The 28-page story uses images by both Capovilla and Gallio, and shows Vio’s story honestly but without over-dramatisation (above and below). It sums up the magazine’s mission.
The photography makes this an impressive first issue; it is wisely allowed to take centre stage in the layouts, which are crisp and unfussy. It’s a companion to Victory Journal, but without the illustratiion and archive material. It’s a strong showcase for Gallio and his contributor’s photography and is a welcome addition to the indie sports scene.
Editor: Giovanni Gallio
Design: Alessandro Pavan