UniCamillus University welcomes Daniele Masala, individual and team Olympic modern pentathlon champion and gold medallist at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games, to its faculty. “Our University is proud to be able to count on the contribution of such an outstanding figure in the world of sport”, said Rector Gianni Profita on the occasion of the official signing of the new partnership between the University and Professor Masala. As of today, the former Italian Olympic pentathlete will be Professor of Methods and Didactics of Motor Activities on the MSc in Medicine and Surgery.
At UniCamillus, Masala will also take on the role of Delegate for the promotion of sporting activities.
It is no coincidence that some of the world’s leading universities have a long sporting tradition. Many of the sports that are still played and followed around the world today originated in universities. The most famous example is football, which was invented at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1848, but there have also been doctors who have invented sports. This is the case―not the only one―of the Canadian medical practitioner and physical education teacher James A. Naismith, who invented basketball in 1891. By choosing to promote its activities through an Olympic figure such as Daniele Masala, UniCamillus wishes to highlight this age-old university tradition of combining study, sport and health.
“I firmly believe that sport, as a subject of study, can play an important role in the lives of students, especially in the university environment, not only as a healthy activity to be practised on a daily basis, but also to enrich their education with experiences and skills”, said Rector Profita. In addition to the well-being that comes from physical activity, which is recommended by all medical practitioners, nutritionists and health professionals, in today’s society it is scientifically and empirically proven that sport promotes socialisation and a sense of belonging, as well as the development of soft skills that are useful in all areas of work. These are all factors that UniCamillus places great emphasis on in the training of medical practitioners and health professionals. This is also why the University wanted to focus on a celebrity, not only to launch a new course, but also to promote a series of events and activities already in the pipeline. “We have already planned four or five projects that we are going to carry out focusing on students, because they are first and foremost human beings and future citizens”, said Professor Masala, without revealing more, leaving the anticipation and curiosity to learn more about the plans to grow. “The perspective of the events and initiatives we are going to carry out is definitely long-term”.
After retiring from sport, Daniele Masala worked as a freelance journalist and collaborated with RAI, the Italian national television broadcaster, as a commentator for the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992 to the Paris 2024 Games this summer. He is also the author of several texts describing the many technical and human facets of the world of sport, as well as his personal experience as an athlete. In December last year, the Olympic champion was a guest speaker at our University at the Medicine and Sport Science conference, part of the Third Mission series of meetings entitled Horizons of Medicine.
“I know Rector Profita: he is a determined person who sets goals and wants to achieve them. What people lack nowadays is the ability to set goals and to plan to achieve them, and at UniCamillus, thanks to his work, I have found this ability again. I like his determination. He asked me to come to this university to create something around sport―which does not only mean physical activity, but should be understood under the broader profile of the social concept of sport. In this respect, the Rector and I are very much in agreement. I will submit various ideas to him, because that will also be my role, but then we will share our decisions together, because our common vision is that we can and must contribute, both through the principles and values of sport and through its practice, to the education of future citizens and health professionals”, concluded Professor Masala.
