Remembering IFBB Athlete Elena Cuzuioc: A Trophy to the World!
Italian IFBB
Athlete Elena Cuzuioc and her husband and IFBB Pro Athlete Emiliano Dell'Uomo are among the most noted athletes and couples in the European Bodybuilding and Fitness Industry in Italy. They were just beginning to gain notoriety here in the United States. In fact, Elena competed at this year’s Arnold Classic Amateur Competition.
Elena and Emiliano met in the bodybuilding industry and as they got to know each other they fell madly in love. Everyone who came in contact with them could sense the energy of the love they had for each other. Elena and Emiliano were married April 30, 2011. One of Elena's wishes was to enjoy a honeymoon in New York. That wish came true this late February and early March during the weekend of her participation in the Arnold Classic Amateur Competition!
Over the years, Elena exhibited significant achievements in both National and International competition. She and Emiliano built a close relationship with their master trainers, well known coaches Cristiana Casoni and Mauro Sassi, who are known in the industry as being two of the more prepared coaches in Europe. Those who know Casoni and Sassi know that they have not only developed strong competitors out of the athletes that they have trained but also built strong personal bonds with them, including Elena and Emiliano.
Friends like well-known photographer Giorgio Mesghetz and Web entrepreneur Vittorio Galeano describe Elena as someone who enriched the lives of everyone who came in contact with her. It is said that behind every great man is a great woman, and everyone knew Elena saw that she always stood behin
d Emiliano in everything that he did.
Emiliano and Elena were a team in all aspects of their lives, including being proud IFBB Competitors. Emiliano describes Elena as his pillar of strength in all of his endeavors, and she would bring sunshine into all of his days. Those who knew Elena saw someone who always put her husband before herself and saw him through all of his efforts in his competitions. The making of a bodybuilding athlete is never easy, but if that athlete has someone who provides support, as was the case with Elena and Emiliano, anything can happen.
Sadly, the world of bodybuilding and fitness suffered a great loss on the morning of March 11, when Elena’s life came to a tragic end as the result of an automobile accident in Italy. Tributes to Elena poure
d in from around the world. Bodybuilding and fitness athletes here in the United States joined those around the world in offering condolences to Emiliano, Elena's family, her friends, her coaches, and all of those whose lives she touched.
Elena was a role model to many, and her legacy is that she was a pillar of strength to more than just Emiliano. Her legacy is that she was the perfect example of good character, hard work, dedication, and the pursuit of excellence. It is these characteristics of hers that will continue to live on in others for years to come and for which she will always be remembered. She has left us one of the most valuable gifts of all, and that is the gift of inspiration.
I would like to thank photographer Giorgio Mesghetz for providing these beautiful images and Vittorio Gagliano for sharing his thoughts about Elena and to Dave Palumbo of Rx Muscle for publishing and honoring the legacy of IFBB Athlete Elena Cuzuioc.
