Denis Piccinini, an Italian resident of Lanzarote for seven years, completed his third Ironman on the island last Saturday and decided to do it in a very special way: by asking the mother of his three children, with whom he has been in a relationship for 11 years, to marry him.
With six kilometers to go to the finish line and with the complicity of his children and friends, who knew the surprise, Denis made the request to his partner, Chiara Feverati, who was encouraging him on the course. "My friends prepared a bouquet of flowers and the music from the first time we met," says Denis.
This Italian lives in Tinajo with his partner and his children Mayla, Jonay and Allisa, five, seven and nine years old, and wanted to make this marriage proposal during the Ironman, because he considers that it has not only been "an effort" for him, but for the family. "Because you take time away from the family to train," he points out. "And this year is very particular for this proposal. After the confinement, the pandemic, it is a very special year," he adds.
After receiving a yes in response and after the couple put on a veil and a bow tie in a symbolic way, Denis completed the last lap of the foot race that he had left to reach the Ironman finish line, which he finally entered at around 10:00 p.m., being the third year in which he has done this tough sporting event, managing to finish it. "This year I was more trained than other years and I arrived earlier," details Denis, who explains that the first year he did the Ironman he reached the finish line only "three minutes before" it closed. "This year I really wanted to do it and make the proposal to my wife," concludes this Italian resident on the island.
