MIT Technology Review

There were already tears in the room when Patrick Darling’s song began to play. The track was written for his great grandfather, someone he never met. But the emotion ran deeper. It marked the first time the 32 year old musician had appeared on stage with his bandmates in more than two years, since he lost the ability to sing.

Darling was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at 29. Like other motor neuron diseases, ALS slowly strips away muscle control. Over time, people lose the ability to move, speak and eventually breathe. Darling’s last live show was more than two years ago, when he had already started struggling to stand or play and was beginning to lose his voice.

Recently, everything changed. Heading into an event in London on Wednesday, he used a synthetic version of his old voice, reconstructed through an AI tool trained on snippets of past recordings. Another ElevenLabs tool allowed him to compose new songs. For the first time since his diagnosis, Darling could make music again.

“Sadly, I have lost the ability to sing and play my instruments,” he said on stage, using the voice clone. “Despite this, most of my time these days is spent still continuing to compose and produce my music. Doing so feels more important than ever to me now.”

Darling grew up surrounded by instruments. He said he started composing at 14 and later learned bass guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, melodica, mandolin and tenor banjo. Singing was his greatest passion.

He met bandmate Nick Cocking more than a decade ago, joining Cocking’s Irish folk group, the Ceili House Band, in 2014. As a singer and guitarist, Darling “elevated the musicianship of the band,” Cocking said.

Then small changes began to creep in. Darling became unsteady. Cocking remembered one rainy night in Cardiff when Darling kept slipping on pavement. At the time, no one imagined it was the first sign of ALS. His symptoms accelerated. By August 2023, Darling needed to sit during performances. Soon after, he began losing the use of his hands.

“Eventually he couldn’t play the guitar or the banjo anymore,” Cocking said. By April 2024, Darling struggled to talk and breathe at the same time. For one performance, the band carried him onto the stage. The next day, Darling called to say he could not continue. “By June 2024, it was done,” Cocking said. It was their last show together.

A speech therapist encouraged Darling to “bank” his voice, a process that lets people record speech before they lose it. But by then his voice had already changed. “It felt like we were saving the wrong voice,” he told the audience.

A second therapist introduced him to a new option. Richard Cave, a speech and language therapist at University College London and a consultant for ElevenLabs, showed him a tool that could create voice clones using just minutes of audio. The company recently launched a program offering free licenses to people who have lost their voices due to ALS, cancer or stroke.

Gabi Leibowitz, a speech therapist who leads the program, said the tools help people hold on to parts of their identity. They do not solve the physical challenges of ALS, she said, but they let users “create again, to thrive.” Some are able to continue working or doing the things that make them feel like themselves.

Cave used older recordings to rebuild Darling’s speaking voice. The result stunned him. “It sounded exactly like I had before, and you literally wouldn’t be able to tell the difference,” Darling said. He joked that the first word he generated with the new voice was inappropriate.

Rebuilding the singing voice was harder. The system works best with at least 10 minutes of clean audio, and Darling had little more than grainy pub and kitchen recordings. Still, it was enough to create what Cave called a “synthetic version” of Darling’s singing voice. It mirrored the original, right down to the slight rasp and uneven notes. Cave said those imperfections made it sound human.

ElevenLabs also created an AI music generator, Eleven Music, which can compose songs from text prompts. Darling leaned on it to shape his new track. Although the tool can spit out music in a minute, Darling and Cave spent around six weeks refining the arrangement.

Last month, Cave sent the finished track to Cocking. “I heard the first two or three words he sang, and I had to turn it off,” Cocking said. “I was just in bits, in tears. It took me a good half a dozen times to make it to the end of the track.”

Darling planned to debut the song live at the ElevenLabs summit in London. Cocking and fellow bandmate Hari Ma prepared mandolin and fiddle parts to accompany the music. After two years apart, they rolled Darling out onto the stage.

“I wheeled him out on stage, and neither of us could believe it was happening,” Cave said. Darling stayed on stage while the track played, and the band performed live beside him.

Cocking said Darling wants to keep making music with the tools. He hopes they can perform together again, though ALS makes every future plan uncertain.

“It’s so bittersweet,” Cocking said. “But getting up on stage and seeing Patrick there filled me with absolute joy. I know Patrick really enjoyed it as well. We’ve been talking about it. He was really, really proud.”

AI Just Gave This Musician with ALS His Voice Back For an Emotional Return to the Stage

Science Daily

Researchers examining one of the most important mosaics ever discovered in the UK say the artwork tells a version of the Trojan War that rarely appears in history books. A new study from the University of Leicester shows that the well known Ketton mosaic in Rutland does not follow the story from Homer’s Iliad, as originally believed. Instead, it appears to illustrate a now lost tragedy by the Greek playwright Aeschylus.

The mosaic, uncovered in 2020 after local resident Jim Irvine spotted it on his family farm during the COVID lockdown, has been described as one of the most remarkable Roman era finds in Britain in a century. The discovery led to major excavations by University of Leicester Archaeological Services, funded by Historic England. The villa and mosaic have since been granted Scheduled Monument status because of their national importance.

The artwork includes three dramatic scenes involving Achilles and Hector. It shows their duel, Achilles dragging Hector’s body, and King Priam weighing out gold to retrieve his son’s remains. Those scenes appear in Homer’s narrative, but the details on the mosaic do not match the famous poem.

The research team found that the composition aligns instead with Phrygians, a tragedy by Aeschylus that survives only in fragments. Choosing this version would have marked the villa’s owner as someone with refined literary taste. Romans were familiar with many tellings of the Trojan War, but this one was rarely depicted.

Dr. Jane Masséglia, lead author of the study, said the mosaic draws on artistic designs that had circulated around the Mediterranean for centuries. “In the Ketton Mosaic, not only have we got scenes telling the Aeschylus version of the story, but the top panel is actually based on a design used on a Greek pot that dates from the time of Aeschylus, 800 years before the mosaic was laid,” she said. She added that other sections echo patterns found on older silverware, coins and pottery from Greece, Turkey and Gaul. “Romano British craftspeople were not isolated from the rest of the ancient world, but were part of this wider network of trades passing their pattern catalogues down the generations.”

The findings give a broader view of Roman Britain as connected to international artistic traditions rather than operating at the margins of empire. Irvine, who first uncovered the mosaic, said the research “reveals a level of cultural integration across the Roman world that we are only just beginning to appreciate.”

Historic England welcomed the study for deepening the understanding of life at the villa. Post excavation coordinator Rachel Cubitt said the work “offers a more nuanced picture of the interests and influences of those who may have lived there, and of people living across Roman Britain at this time.”

Scholars outside the project have also praised the findings. Prof. Hella Eckhardt of the University of Reading said the study shows how stories of Achilles and Hector travelled not only through literature but through imagery crafted in many materials, from pottery to mosaics.

ULAS and Historic England are preparing a full publication of the excavation, which is expected to add even more detail about the mosaic, the villa and the people who once lived there.

Researchers Say Famous Ketton Mosaic Shows a Forgotten Version of the Trojan War

USA Today

Valentine’s Day arrived early at Book Club Bar in lower Manhattan. A singles event built around books, conversation and zero pressure drew a sold out crowd. The gathering was hosted by Bored of Dating Apps, a group trying to shift people away from swiping and back toward meeting face to face.

“We’re about rom-com culture,” said on-site host Grace Clark Delgado. “Dating culture feels like we can’t have that. But when you come to this, you absolutely can.”

Five days before the holiday, organizers made one thing clear. There would be no speed dating setups or glowing red décor. Just mingling in a bar lined with bookshelves, a place where you could meet a future Valentine or simply make a new friend. Some guests flirt a little and leave with a number. Others go home with only a book. Either outcome is considered a win, Clark Delgado said.

When the event began, the back room reserved for singles was still empty while the early crowd of readers lingered at the bar. Less than 10 minutes later, the space was full, with people spilling into the main room as hosts handed out drink tickets. Some attendees looked comfortable, others nervous. Many arrived alone. All were greeted by hosts acting as wingpeople and conversation starters, weaving through the crowd to help match guests or break the ice.

The location is a major draw. Bored of Dating Apps hosts on rooftops and dance floors, but the Book Club Bar sessions sell out every time. Founder Jess Evans said both time slots that night, one at 6 p.m. and another at 9 p.m., sold out at 200 tickets total.

For many, being surrounded by books takes the pressure off. “I might be willing to try something newer, potentially out of my comfort zone in a place that already feels really familiar,” Clark Delgado said. She said the shelves often spark easy conversation. People point to titles they love or ask simple questions like “If you were a book, what would you be?”

Guests said the bookish setting mattered. Ava Mattox, 32, came specifically to meet other readers. She worries that fewer people read for enjoyment and hopes to find a partner who reads with curiosity and empathy.

“How you gain empathy and learn about people outside of yourself is by reading fiction,” she said.

Konstantinos Karagiannis, 53, who loves horror and sci fi, said he has tried many singles events but thought this one gave him the best chance of meeting someone who shares his interests. He travels to Salem, Massachusetts every Halloween and hopes a future partner will join him. “Because this is Book Club Bar, I figured I’d have a better chance of meeting a smart woman,” he said.

Across the room, a shared frustration surfaced. Nearly everyone said they were exhausted with dating apps. A 2025 Forbes survey reported that 80 percent of millennials and 79 percent of Gen Z feel burnt out from digital dating. Guests described the apps as transactional and slow to lead to real life meetings. Many said they miss the spontaneity and charm of a meet cute.

“(Dating apps) feel so clinical to me. I read a lot of romance books as well, that magic doesn’t exist anymore,” said Shreyas Seethalla, 24. He discovered the bookstore during an earlier visit and thought it would be a good spot to meet people who read as much as he does.

A small incentive warmed up the night. Hosts picked one pair who seemed to hit it off and gave them tickets to the Metropolitan Opera. Neha Nidamarti, 36, was one of the winners along with 30 year old Jason Berk. Both said they are tired of dating apps and both read fantasy, including Sarah J. Maas’ “Throne of Glass.”

“Everyone’s like, ‘There’s so many fish’ and I’m like, it’s a cesspool, not the fish you want on the dating apps,” Nidamarti said. “I do better when I meet people organically. I just don’t do well on the apps. I don’t think people get my humor. Or it’s like pen pals and you just want to talk forever. I’m not your wife, you’re not at sea at war. Why are we writing to each other for two weeks?”

Bored of Dating Apps started in London and now regularly fills venues in New York. Its mixers have sparked friendships, relationships, proposals, weddings and what hosts lovingly call “BODA babies.”

Host Samantha Rutter, 31, said attending the events gave her a sense of confidence she had lost. Many hosts, like her, started as attendees before stepping into volunteer roles. She said she tries to be a steady, friendly presence for anyone feeling anxious.

“Someone did the bravest thing they could tonight,” she said.

This Bookstore Singles Night Draws New Yorkers Tired of Dating Apps

Talker News

Cannon Hall Farm in Cawthorne found a playful way to share affection ahead of Valentine’s Day. A flock of sheep arranged themselves into a giant heart shape, thanks to some well placed feed and a bit of patience from the farmers.

The family run attraction has just passed 700,000 followers on Facebook and wanted a light hearted way to acknowledge the milestone. Drone footage filmed by farmers Dale Lavender and Charlie Winship captures the moment the sheep trot across the field, pause, then settle neatly into the large heart outline.

The farm, which has built a big online audience through livestreams and behind the scenes videos, is days away from opening its half term lambing festival. Staff said the heart was created by laying out feed in just the right spots, then waiting for the animals to follow the trail.

The video shows the flock bunching together and then spreading into the curved shape, creating a clear heart symbol visible from above. It’s a simple gesture but one that landed well with the farm’s audience, many of whom have followed the animals for years.

Cannon Hall Farm is preparing for a busy season as visitors arrive to meet newborn lambs and watch daily farm demonstrations. The Valentine’s message from the sheep offered a warm preview.

Sheep Form Massive Heart-Shaped Formation In Adorable Display Of Affection

Science Alert

Scientists say they have moved closer to a treatment for spinal cord injuries after testing a therapy on tiny human spinal cord organoids grown in the lab. The work, led by researchers at Northwestern University, builds on earlier studies that reversed paralysis in mice.

In their latest experiment, the team grew organoids about 3 millimeters wide using stem cells from an adult donor. After several months, the samples had developed key features of the human spinal cord, including neurons, astrocytes, and layered tissue. The researchers then injured the organoids, either by cutting them or applying compression similar to the trauma from a car crash.

Biomedical engineer Samuel Stupp said the goal was to see if the therapy behaved in human tissue the same way it had in animals. “We decided to develop two different injury models in a human spinal cord organoid and test our therapy to see if the results resembled what we previously saw in the animal model,” he said.

As in real spinal cord injuries, the damaged organoids showed immediate nerve cell death, inflammation, and the formation of dense glial scars. Stupp said they could clearly distinguish between normal astrocytes and the large, tightly packed astrocytes in the scar tissue, as well as detect molecules associated with injury responses.

The therapy, called IKVAV-PA, uses supramolecular peptides nicknamed “dancing” molecules. These molecules move rapidly enough to match the motion of receptors on nerve cells, encouraging axons to regrow. Stupp explained this idea in 2021, saying, “Given that cells themselves and their receptors are in constant motion, you can imagine that molecules moving more rapidly would encounter these receptors more often. If the molecules are sluggish and not as ‘social,’ they may never come into contact with the cells.”

Researchers applied the IKVAV-PA liquid to some of the injuries, while others received a control without the active molecules. In treated samples, the liquid quickly formed a gel-like scaffold and the molecules began signaling nerve cells to regenerate.

The results were clear. Organoids receiving the treatment showed far less scarring and inflammation than the control group and significantly more nerve regrowth. “After applying our therapy, the glial scar faded significantly to become barely detectable, and we saw neurites growing, resembling the axon regeneration we saw in animals,” Stupp said. “This is validation that our therapy has a good chance of working in humans.”

Spinal cord injuries often result in paralysis because damaged nerve cells in the central nervous system struggle to regenerate. Scar tissue poses another barrier, making it difficult for new axons to form and reconnect. Mouse studies provided early evidence that the IKVAV-PA material could overcome both problems, but organoids offer a way to test the concept directly in human tissue without risking patient safety.

“One of the most exciting aspects of organoids is that we can use them to test new therapies in human tissue,” Stupp said. “Short of a clinical trial, it’s the only way you can achieve this objective.”

Despite the promising results, the treatment is still years from being ready for human trials. For now, the findings strengthen the case for further development of regenerative therapies that could one day help people with spinal cord injuries. The study appears in Nature Biomedical Engineering.

Scientists Achieve Breakthrough in Spinal Cord Injury Treatment, and it Could Be a Big Step to Treating Paralysis

BBC News

A farm in the UK has turned a simple cow move into a community event, swapping out trailers and barriers for human volunteers who line the roads and guide the herd from field to field.

Clairval Organic Dairy Farm began trying this approach two years ago, calling for help every couple of months when it needs to shift its cows across different grazing areas in St Saviour. The idea came from fifth-generation farmer Zoe Marshall, who said they usually rely on 20 to 30 volunteers to block off roads and paths as the cows jog their way to fresh grass.

She said the practice is far from standard in farming but has quickly become essential to making the moves safe and manageable. “One day we tried to do it with just us and it was chaos, cows jumped, you know, field walls, everything,” she said. Without a cattle trailer of their own, she said they decided to test out the volunteer idea and “it worked and we’ve sort of run with it from there.”

Marshall said the volunteers tend to be adults and many return regularly. Some even end up on a waiting list. “They love it, and it’s a bit of a guilty pleasure for them,” she said. Bad weather can thin out the crowd, but on good days there are more hands than the farm can use.

The most recent herding happened because one field had become too muddy. Marshall said the next move will take the cows to their final stop before many of them calve. The farm expects about 30 births in the next year, with four cows already due “any minute now” and eight more expected this summer.

Her family has worked the land since the late 1800s, raising what she describes as a herd of “100 percent original population.” She said the attachment runs deep. “Jersey cows are as magnificent as the rest of the world thinks, and they’re our babies, they’re our absolute world, they’re family to us.”

That connection became especially clear during Storm Goretti in January, which she described as “one of the longest nights” spent looking after the cattle. Bringing in volunteers, she said, helps people understand that sense of responsibility. “I think it’s really very important that we get to share that with other people.”

At the latest gathering, more than 30 volunteers showed up. Among them were Ash and two friends who work corporate jobs and wanted to do something “different” on a Saturday morning. They said they love animals and liked the idea of trying something new.

Karina, another volunteer, called it an “excellent” experience with a strong community feel. “Traffic jams with cows is very Jersey,” she joked.

Neville, who came from local charity Les Amis, said the event was “really exciting.” Carer Sammy said it was a new experience for the group. “A couple of them were quite worried about patting them, but they got stuck in and they really enjoyed it,” she said.

Teacher Michaela Byrne, who spends weekends helping at the farm, said she originally arrived only to feed baby cows. “I never left,” she said. She described the moves as “chaotic but amazing that everyone can come up and help.”

For Byrne, the joy comes from watching people interact with the animals and discover what the farm does. “It’s just a beautiful experience for everybody and it’s exciting and they get to see what we’re all up to.” Her advice for families thinking about joining in was simple: “Get your children in a pair of welly boots, get them out there. It’s just a bit of mud, they’ll be fine, let them experience everything.”

Uk Farm Enlists Volunteers to Move Cows, Creating Unique Community Tradition

For more than ten years, the walkway of the Forth Road Bridge has doubled as a place where couples leave small metal declarations of affection. New photos show the stretch of railing now covered in colourful padlocks, each engraved with names, dates or short messages.

The first lock appeared in 2015. Staff at the bridge spotted a single padlock etched with a couple’s name and realised it might be an opportunity to support the RNLI Lifeboat Station. They created a project called Mark Your Spot, inviting people to buy engraved locks and attach them to the bridge. It echoed similar traditions on bridges in Europe and beyond.

More than 5,000 locks were clipped on during the campaign. At £15 each, the project raised over £10,000 for the RNLI, and it also marked the 50th anniversary of the bridge, which opened in 1890.

Photos taken now show how the tradition continued even after the official campaign ended. Heart shaped locks sit beside brass and steel ones, some with proposals, others with anniversaries, many still bright despite years of Scottish weather.

The locks are no longer sold as part of the fundraiser but visitors still add their own. What began as a single engraved token has turned into a long running display of affection suspended above the Firth of Forth.

Couples Flock To Bridge, Attaching 'Love Locks' For Over A Decade

The Guardian

For the first time in years, conservationists in the Scottish Highlands are talking about the capercaillie with something close to optimism. After decades of decline, the species has seen a modest but meaningful rise at one of its most important sites.

At RSPB Abernethy, the population of male capercaillies has increased by 50 percent, moving from 20 males in 2020 to 30 in 2025. It is a small shift, but for a bird whose numbers have collapsed to 532 in the wild, any increase is significant. In the 1970s, more than 20,000 capercaillies lived across Scotland’s pine forests. The drop since then has been severe enough that the bird is often described as being on the edge of local extinction.

The latest count focused on the spring lekking season. A lek, from the Old Norse word for play, is where males gather to perform elaborate displays to attract female birds. For capercaillies, this involves dramatic flutter jumps, puffed out black plumage, and rhythmic popping and clicking sounds meant to impress the smaller, camouflaged females. These gatherings offer conservation teams the most reliable way to track the male population each year.

The challenges pushing the species toward decline remain substantial. Wetter springs and summers make survival harder for chicks. High quality forest habitat continues to shrink. Eggs and chicks face predation. Birds collide with deer fences. Human disturbance, including spikes in foot traffic driven by social media attention, has added new pressure. Researchers also worry that low genetic diversity in the surviving population could affect recovery.

Even so, Abernethy’s increase is linked to hands on efforts to rework the forest floor. Conservationists have been trialling a remote controlled mower that removes dense heather in steep areas. Cutting back the heather allows blaeberry to grow. Blaeberry is a key food source for adult capercaillies and it supports moth caterpillars, which provide essential protein for chicks. Clearing patches of ground also gives chicks places to warm themselves after rain.

Another intervention involves virtual fence collars on cattle, a way to direct grazing without installing physical fences that could threaten flying birds. The controlled grazing helps reshape the forest in ways that benefit capercaillie habitat.

Abernethy holds more than 20 percent of the 143 lekking males recorded in the 2025 national count. The site is now a central part of efforts to keep the species from sliding further.

Richard Mason, conservation manager at RSPB Abernethy, said: “The increase in the number of lekking male capercaillie is thanks to the huge amount of work we are undertaking to improve habitat quality. The combination of cutting and extensive cattle grazing has dramatically improved conditions in the forest. We are seeing many chicks reaching full size and whilst the future of capercaillie remains in the balance, we are hopeful that these techniques can support their recovery in Scotland.”

He added: “There is still a lot of work to be done for capercaillie, not just at RSPB Abernethy, but across all capercaillie sites in Scotland. By enhancing these native pinewood forests, we can collectively work towards the recovery of this incredible bird.”

Other forests are starting to show encouraging signs too. Strathspey reported an increase in males during its 2023 count, suggesting that targeted habitat work may be paying off across parts of the Highlands.

For now, experts see a fragile but real lifeline for a species that has been inching toward disappearance for decades.

Endangered Capercaillie Shows Rare Signs of Recovery in the Scottish Highlands

Chester Zoo has been recognised as an internationally important botanic garden, becoming the first zoo in the UK to receive accreditation from Botanic Gardens Conservation International. The endorsement highlights the zoo’s growing role in protecting rare and threatened plants from across the world.

The accreditation follows a detailed assessment of the zoo’s education work, sustainability efforts, research and hands on conservation. Hundreds of plant species are cared for on site, from UK natives to rare tropical flora, many of which are at risk in the wild.

Head of plants Philip Esseen said the recognition will help the zoo expand its conservation impact. “We are caring for species that are threatened with extinction in the wild, and that carries a responsibility to protect them, propagate them and share our expertise with others,” he said.

Chester Zoo’s plant collection spans public gardens and behind the scenes nurseries where thousands of specimens are housed for research and long term conservation. The zoo also maintains five National Plant Collections through a UK wide scheme aimed at preventing the loss of important cultivated plants.

“In some cases, we are caring for plants that barely exist anywhere else,” said Richard Hewitt from the zoo’s plant nursery. He pointed to three species from the Madeiran archipelago that have all but vanished from botanical gardens. The Madeiran government has entrusted the zoo with their seeds in an effort to stop them disappearing entirely.

One of those species, Musschia isambertoi, is critically endangered after losing much of its natural habitat. “As we know it has never successfully produced seed outside its natural habitat,” Hewitt said, stressing how precarious the species’ future remains.

The zoo’s conservation work also includes threatened UK species such as the black poplar, an endangered timber tree being propagated and replanted through restoration programmes.

Patricia Malcolm from BGCI said the zoo’s contributions made it one of only two zoos in Europe to achieve Conservation Practitioner status.

For the staff at Chester Zoo, the new accreditation is both recognition and responsibility. It marks a step forward in efforts to protect plants that, in some cases, survive in only a handful of places on Earth.

UK Zoo Earns Prestigious Botanic Garden Status for Plant Conservation Efforts

ABC News

A quiet Milan church swapped its usual hymns for cheers on February 9, using the excitement around the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics to teach children that the meaning of sport goes far beyond competition. Inside the Church of Sant’Antonio, just steps from Milan’s Duomo, dozens of kids received snowflake shaped medals, a small reminder that they are champions in their own lives.

“This is not about changing lives through elite performance,” said Valentina Piazza, project manager for CSI for the World, an organization that brings sports programs to children in developing countries. “It’s about how sport helps young people learn from being together.”

The ceremony marked the launch of the Tour of Sports Values, an initiative led by the Catholic Archdiocese of Milan during the Winter Games. Through workshops, exhibitions, athlete talks and hands on sports activities, the program highlights the values of excellence, friendship and respect. Letters written by Archbishop Mario Delpini anchor the effort, building on themes he has shared in recent years as the region prepares for the Olympics.

Organizers expect the initiative to reach about 13,000 young people across schools, parish youth centers and local sports clubs through February 20.

The kickoff event mixed reverence with playful energy. Children sat in the pews of the 16th century church before meeting Giordano Bortolani, a professional basketball player who came through the youth system of Olimpia Milano and has played in both of Italy’s top divisions. He also volunteers in programs for people with disabilities through Milan’s Catholic network.

“Since becoming a professional athlete, I often go around talking to kids,” Bortolani said. “With the Winter Olympics happening here in Milan, it’s all about Olympic values. The values of sport, and of life as well.”

Behind him hung banners designed by high school seniors, each reflecting Olympic inspired themes connecting past and present. Matilde Napoli, deputy head of the school, said the project encourages students to see sport “not only as competition or performance, but also as a vehicle for ethical principles such as cooperation, respect, solidarity and inclusion.”

Much of the program unfolds in oratories, the parish based spaces that are central to youth life in Italy. After school, they serve as gathering spots for sports, games and community activities. The foundation that supports these oratories, FOM, is coordinating efforts across the archdiocese. According to Massimo Aquino, president of CSI, the archdiocese oversees nearly 1,000 oratories.

“The most beautiful thing is that, for generations, Italians have grown up learning the values of life in oratories, chasing after a ball,” Aquino said. He noted that several major Italian athletes began in these settings, including Olympic canoe champion Antonio Rossi and sprinter Filippo Tortu, part of Italy’s gold winning 4x100 meter relay team in Tokyo.

Bortolani is one of those athletes shaped by oratory life. His first experience with sport was at age five, playing in a parish courtyard. “Church was part of it,” he said. “Sometimes, between training sessions, they would take us to pray.” Even after turning professional, he has stayed connected to the places that helped raise him. “There is a beauty in sport itself, but sometimes a young person may be interested in hearing the point of view of an athlete. That’s how it was for me when I was younger.”

During the Winter Games, organizers hope these everyday spaces can bring the Olympic spirit down to earth, turning familiar parish halls into simple classrooms for reflection, play and community. The medals handed out in Sant’Antonio may not come with international fanfare, but the message behind them is clear. For the kids in the pews, the values they practice together matter just as much as anything that happens in an arena.

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