The ninth edition of the BOV Marigold Volleyball Marathon is being held this weekend. At the heart of the annual fundraising marathon is the commitment of a strong team of 200 volunteers. Among them are the players who will be playing volleyball for 53 hours straight, after making it through six weeks of gruelling training. This is what the marathon means to them.

Anatole Scerri Diacono, 43

Anatole is the veteran of the group. He became a volunteer when he was only 20 years old, and never looked back since. He looks forward to the marathon year after year.

“If I recall well, this is the seventh time I am participating in the volleyball marathon. Back then, it used to be in aid of Kerygma and it was spread over a whole week.”

For Anatole, the biggest challenges represented by the marathon are trying to find a balance between training and work commitments, apart from finding time for family matters, which is no mean feat. However, all challenges fade away when he considers the fulfilment he finds in voluntary work.

“To me, voluntary work means a lot. Our time and dedication in turn generate moral support to the residents of Id-Dar tal-Providenza.”

For Anatole, the love for the game and teamwork help in building friendships and bonding.

“Volleyball unites us. We get along with each other so well that we are like one big family. Teamwork goes beyond the volleyball court. I mean sometimes, even by having someone make you a cup of coffee at 4am, goes a long way in showing the bond we have developed”.

Anatole appeals to the public not only to be generous but also to turn up at Id-Dar tal-Providenza during the marathon days. “Your presence here serves as a moral boost not only to us players but also to the residents who enjoy meeting people.”

Kelly Fenech, 18

This is the third time that Kelly is participating as a volunteer in marathon but she still remains the youngest.

“It was thanks to the determination and support of a dear friend that I took the first step. The fact that I could not drive up to Pembroke to attend training sessions was why I was reluctant to go for it in the beginning. Now I don’t regret any of that, even if it means a lot of sacrifice to fit the training schedule into an already packed schedule.”

Speaking about her relationship with the other participants, Kelly says it is a very well integrated group, with volleyball being the main variable uniting them together.

As the first serve is only hours away,  Kelly urges the public to be generous as always, and ideally, apart from the monetary donations, “it would be great to have a nice crowd during the marathon. Giving time to others is more precious than anything else.”

Alban Cuka, 30

Alban got to know about the volleyball marathon through its success over the years. However he never imagined that he would become directly involved. This will be his first marathon.

“The fact that the teams change from one training session to another gave me the opportunity to get to know almost everyone here. Teamwork is great!”

After five years in Malta, Alban says that he is familiar with the generosity of  the Maltese people and he is banking on that factor once again this weekend.

“I’m pretty sure that once again, the Maltese people will support Id-Dar tal-Providenza as they have always done with all the charitable institutions across the island.”

Stefan Decelis, technical director, 41

Stefan’s experience in volleyball playing goes back a long way. He has been coaching players for the past four years and selecting the final teams which eventually play during the marathon weekend.

As a technical director, there is more pressure. Stefan is responsible for cutting down the number of participants to a final selection of 40 from the initial 75 (in this year’s case).

“The selection is based on many factors, which primarily are the technical abilities, commitment and physical fitness of the players”.

Making time is the biggest challenge for Stefan, as his main responsibilities have to be performed after the players finish training. Assessing each and every participant is a time-consuming exercise which involves a lot of thinking and evaluation

“In order to come out with a fair selection and assessment on all the players, it would take an approximate eight to nine hours after training hours,” he says.

Stefan explains that after the final selection, participants are split into teams and training is shifted from the technical to competitive levels. Also, once the teams are selected, a number of team-building activities are held in order to help the players get to know one another better.

“The hardest part is having to leave people out of the final selection. It’s the role of the technical director to choose the best players for the marathon weekend and leaving someone out is not easy, especially considering the fact that the volleyball community is a small community, and we all know one other very well.”

Finally, Stefan’s message to the public is to take into consideration the hard work and dedication of the players and all the sacrifices of the volunteers at Id-Dar tal-Providenza.

“Let’s do our small part and help Id-Dar tal-Providenza as finally our ultimate aim is to help the residents enjoy a better life”.

Antoine Rouvroy, 24

A Belgian national living in Malta since January, Antoine decided to take part in this year’s marathon after being invited to do so by a friend of his with whom he plays volleyball at an amateur level.

Speaking about the training challenges, Antoine names the scorching summer heat as the biggest hurdle to overcome.

“In my country we are not used to such high temperatures and playing in summer in such conditions is not an easy task. Then there is the language issue. I don’t speak Maltese and sometimes, language might create a barrier, especially since not even English is my native tongue.”

Notwithstanding this, Antoine says that the friendliness of the Maltese people is very heart-warming, and that he felt immediately welcome.

“I already look forward to the next edition.”

Antoine urges everyone to give their support, and also urged others to consider taking an active part in the coming editions.

Claire and Silvan Scerri, 41 and 40 respectively

Claire and Silvan are married with children, and participating in the volleyball marathon means that they have to fit their training commitments with those towards their family. Trying to sit down with their children and helping them with their studies is their priority, however, they still manage to offer their time for a good cause.

“Sometimes we end up asking ourselves why we keep on doing it, with all the time and commitment it involves. However, when all is said and done, the experience is incredible and all sacrifices are forgotten, especially when they see people donate.

Claire speaks about the excellent relationships built with the other participants and acknowledges the fact that they have found another family, with most of the participants taking part year after year and they have known each other for so long. “We forget about the fact that we are a married couple here. We enjoy ourselves getting along with the others and making new friends”.

They encourage the public to visit Id-Dar tal-Providenza during the weekend. Supporting the players and everyone involved would contribute to a bigger success of this year’s marathon.