The spotlight today is on Mario Bonello, 44 years of age, Architect, Head Projects Development at Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation (GHRC) and married to Katya, herself an Architect by profession with a particular flair for design. A former 100m, 200m (and at times 400m) sprinter, a Father of two children: Andria aged 16 and Nicolai aged 13, the La Salle AC Secretary, introduced athletics in Gozo and co-founded Athletix Gozo AC and a qualified IAAF coach. Last but not the least, 2 time Olympian! Mario Bonello raised the bar when he was the first Maltese sprinter who ran the sub 11 sec and 22 sec mark in the 100m and 200m short sprints respectively. A milestone for many local sprinters till to date.
Mario, being a father, an Architect and a Coach carry loads of responsibilities to all those involved. It is indeed time consuming and I believe that behind every strong man there is an even stronger woman. It is obvious that at present Katya does loads of other tasks behind the scenes to allow you to fulfil your three roles at best.
Pursuing to fulfil one's potential in sports, both as an athlete and now as a coach, requires great dedication and continuous commitment. It is unfortunately in the nature of such persons to become self-centred and as you noted, unless there is strong buttress supporting the column, the column becomes too slender to support the overlying load. Thus in more ways than one, Katya has been the hidden element that supported the lateral forces necessary within a family, even though it might seem to the outsiders that it is me alone who is supporting the spire.
Mario, I dare say that during your time at University, things were by far more difficult and so was combining studies with sports. You had to have books at hand for reference. Nowadays, students are luckier to avail of the same through a click of a button. How did you manage to accomplish the dual career path where you were even called regularly by MAAA and MOC for National and International meets?
I have always believed that it is a matter of time management and of course having the right family support. When I was studying, I rarely left things to the last minute. I always set out a plan to get things done, so as to have time for other things outside University life. Not having all the gadgets that students have today might have been a blessing in disguise, as technology also provides ample temptation to 'waste' time. Indeed I had taken the conscious decision not to register for internet service at home at the time, not solely to avoid distractions but also as the dial-up system used at the time (for those who do remember it) was indeed extremely slow.
Having studies planned out well in advance meant that I was at times travelling to competitions even during the exam periods, travelling on weekends and returning to continue sitting for exams during the week. I have again to mention the support I received then from Katya, my parents and also my University Lecturers who, I felt, were silent supporters of my sporting career.
Mario, you are the father of two splendid children. Andria, who is attending 6th form at De La Salle College, who is sitting for her Piano Diploma and even studied Ballet for a long while. What are her objectives? On the other hand, Nicolai is more into Gymnastics and involved in choirs. He hit the headlines for distinguishing himself after winning several medals at the International Mathematics Tournament without Borders. It helps that children have their parents who strived in academics but it's the children who need to have the proper set of mind and attitude. What can you say about your children whom am certain are your pride and joy?
Motivation comes from within. The persons around a performer can only support his enthusiasm by providing the atmosphere for him to succeed. They cannot give him Motivation. He needs to feel that what he is doing, is being done for himself, and not for anyone else. As parents, and coaches, we often feel that we have to motivate, drive, push... But when we realise that it is time to back-off the whole system collapses, if that motivation is not self-generated. Motivation beats genius, and experienced coaches often teach us that outstanding athletes are usually so motivated that you have to work hard to slow them down! I have experienced this both at home and on the field. Our children have to fulfil their dreams and not ours.
Mario, you excelled in the short sprints 100m and 200m. The latter being your favourite. These distances have made you the athlete you are well known for. You have gone places with these events. Can you recall some remarkable PB's or great performances both locally and abroad that remained deep carved in your memory and at heart? Who was your local stiff competitor? When did you realise that it was time to bid farewell to competitive training? And how were the feelings living without competitions after being used to it for many years?
I always considered each competition as an opportunity to improve. Though qualifying for GSSE, the Olympics, Worlds etc were important, I always felt that these were a by-product of improving my performances. I always positioned myself winning every race, even when I knew the competition was tough. I strongly drilled myself to believe I had the talent and was the best prepared. I just had to perform what I had practiced.
The Games of the Small states of Europe remain at heart in many ways. Each of the 18 medals won at these Games makes you addicted for more. You believe there is no end to it. Qualifying for the Olympic Games in 1996 and 2000 were other major achievements considering the stiff completion from the likes of Xandru Grech, Kevin Tonna, Robert Chircop and Rachid Chouchal, who were all very talented athletes at the time. Then other younger athletes like Darren Gilford and Nicolai Portelli eventually came along and took over even though I was still very competitive against them.
However the highlight must still remain winning the Sportsman of the Year award in 1999 and then 10 years later, in 2009 winning the 200m World Masters title in Finland, which to date remains the only global title by any Maltese athlete in athletics.
My 'retirement' from competition took place gradually and naturally, as I started getting injured more often and had less time to take care of myself due to family, work and coaching commitments.
Mario, the truth is you breathe Athletics! You have embraced Athletics and it shows. You were an elite athlete, an Olympian and even trained in Rome to further improve your performances. You enjoyed a long athletic career and that was it. What impresses me most is that rather than leaving athletics for good, you embarked on coaching and you are doing a massive service to local athletics. This is something commendable. It seems it's pay-back time! A successful Architect, who devotes his own time for free to train not less than 30 athletes, six days per week and for a couple of hours a day. How did you get this drive for coaching and please allow me to use the Italian phrase so commonly used on such instances Chi te lo fa fare?
I have been blessed to have had mentors over the years who helped me achieve my potential. The likes of the late Mr John Taylor and Alfred Bajjada must have seen some talent hidden somewhere when I was very young. Gino and Joe Mallia supported me at school, Saviour Spiteri provided some technical insights, Cludio Ruffilli, Donato Sabia and Roberto Piscitelli coached me and gave me the insight of top class athletics, whilst Antonio Laguardia (my long time Italian Coach and mentor, even to date) provided me with invaluable advice, knowledge and opportunities. Last but not least, my long time sponsors, Tutto Sport of PUMA have been with me for 22 years now. All of these have done it all for free for me. They have never asked for anything in return, except maybe, mutual respect. I thus feel I have to give something back and give my athletes at least the same opportunities I was given. Then it is up to them to make a success out of themselves.
Mario, I know you much more as a coach rather than an athlete but I recall your name several times since I used to follow International Athletics more rather than Local but Xandru Grech, Rachid Chouhal, Carol Galea, yourself and few others couldn't be left unheeded. You are coaching various athletes from sprint to middle distance to long distance and with efficient results too but what I saw so remarkable was the transformation of two elite athletes. Matthew Croker from the 400m to the 800m and Charlton Debono from the 800m to long distance running. Both are enjoying great results in their new events but what were the reasons behind asking for such an incredible swap? How did the said athletes take your advice as it's not easy to run the 400m and then to double the distance, or run an 800m and end up competing in the Half Marathon?
As I said earlier, the drive to do something well comes from within. Both Charlton and Matthew are exceptional athletes who expressed the initial wish to change events themselves. My convincing would have been useless had they not wanted it themselves. I'll give you my example. I was always into the short sprints. I always hated running anything longer than 200m. Everyone used to tell me I would be an even better 400m runner. Maybe they were right. I wanted to believe that and even went on to get a RUN400 number plate (which I still sport) to convince myself even further. But the motivation was from outside, it was what people wanted me to do. Deep inside I did not want that enough. And there you are, I rarely did, sticking to the 100m & 200m events, albeit running 48.78sec 400m at the end of my best years.
Mario, in Athletics and likewise in other sports events, there are two types of athletes: The Hardworkers and the Natural Talent. Obviously, it would be irresponsible of me, asking you which type of athletes do you prefer coaching but over the years which athletes have proved to be more successful in terms of results and career? What are the differences between a natural talent and a self-made hardworker? You strive for perfection and keep insisting with athletes the proper technique. How much do you think being a former athlete helps in being a better coach?
We cannot negate the fact that unless one has talent, no matter how hard he works, he will not excel. That is the base line. Of course you can beat talented athletes with hard training if they are not working hard, but out there you will meet talented athletes who are also training well and then talent becomes a key factor. And by talented athletes we do not mean just someone who can run fast. They have to have the mental strength, motivation, technical predisposition and supporting environment. Unless you have all of them than it is unlikely to have success. My input is only limited to a few of the attributes listed above, and that is where I work to influence, both through experience and through research and continuous development.
Mario, you were one of the athlete founders of La Salle AC and now the current Club's Secretary. La Salle has been growing from strength to strength both in terms of numbers and results. I cannot help but mention that you train other athletes who hail from different clubs without any preference whatsoever. This by itself, shows your true meaning of Sportsmanship. In my opinion, La Salle manages to produce very good athletes from young age to school leavers but alas very few pursue athletics. Are there specific reasons for this or is it mostly the same problem across the board?
At De La Salle we are blessed to have the full support of the Brothers and the School teachers to promote sport as an integral part of the children's holistic development and lifestyle. This provides the Club with ample number of athletes to participate in the competitions for younger categories. It is our philosophy not to push the athletes at all. It is the same philosophy I was brought up in. Support and provide the necessary opportunities for those who have the talent and motivation to excel. Most of the talent is lost to other sports or due to lack of motivation. But that is how it goes unfortunately.
Within my training group, I do not differentiate between athletes coming from different Clubs at all. My role is simple, to do my best to help those who opt to put their faith in me as their coach / mentor. And if, at any point in time, anyone wishes to move on, being to another coach or out of sports altogether, I always accept it fully, retaining the same friendship and respect towards each other.
Mario, many people admire the upgrade of Tritons Square, the refurbishment of the Auberge de Castille and Castille Square, refurbishment of Villa Francija and Cottonera Sports Complex among others but very few people know that you were leading teams on these Capital projects? How accomplished do you feel when you simply pass in front of these masterpieces? Which one was difficult to assemble and why? Which are most at heart?
As with my athletic career, I was also blessed to have had people around me as mentors on the professional side. At the then Works Department I did learn a great deal and was given great opportunities to spearhead projects even at a young age. Now at GHRC for nearly 5 years, the projects of National Importance have continued, with the latest and most notable being the refurbishment of Triton Square. I strongly believe that that was an enormous team effort by Architects, engineers, Project Managers and GHRC Management. We all wanted a project that the capital was crying for. It was not GHRC's project, but the people's project as we involved every stake holder with more than 150 consultation meetings before launching the final design. A mammoth effort that was to be completed on site in 9 months, in time for the official opening of the V18 celebrations. Indeed, the projects in which more stakeholders are actively involved are the ones that provide me with more satisfaction.
Mario, you are not a dreamer but a doer. What aspirations do you have as a Father, as a coach and as an Architect? And if you look back at your athletic career, where do you think you could have performed better if more factors were in your favour or do you trust you got the best out of it?
One looks back to learn but not to cry over missed opportunities. I strongly believe in wanting something rather than hoping for something, as the latter is a sign of a need from the outside while the former is a drive from within. Our role is to provide the conditions to shape those around us, be it at home, at work or at the track. Dreamers have never constructed anything, but working mules have not achieved greatness either. Achieving balances is an art in itself that is often underestimated. Life is rarely black or white but made up of innumerable shades of grey.