The love story of two former lionesses who got away from it all and underwent fertility treatment to become mothers

Life always has something else to give. And after the glory, gold and recognition of the Argentine fan, rosary beads Charo Luchetti (37) and Silvia Piti D’Elia (36), the future had something better for them: a life together and a child who fills them with happiness.

Caro and Piti, as everyone calls them, they are two Las Leonas representatives who have chosen Mendoza to build a house and start a family. Today they enjoy walking in the warm siestas of Mendoza and the impressive views of the snow capped mountain range, while designing projects related to field hockey.

When they met in 2003 as part of Las Leoncitas, they shared training, travel, competition and achieved a series of triumphs. As members of the national team, they won the World Cup in 2010, in Rosario, and the silver medal at the London Olympics in 2012.

Now, although they haven’t lost the essence of play and competition, their lives revolve around Tomás, the child who was born on March 7 And she’s only two months old.

They have been together for eight years. From a friendship as playmates, love was born. They had the idea of ​​having a baby from 2018, but the call of their longtime coach Carlos Door lock Retegui, to add them to the team that was supposed to go to the Tokyo matches, changed the plans.

“We had already decided to take the treatment and we had approved everything with social assistance. The same day they confirm that we may start treatment, the Door lock to see the option to play the selected one again. We thought about it and at that moment we decided to give priority to the sports career, even if the Olympic Games were postponed and in the end we didn’t even play them “, says D’Elia, in a meeting with Clarione.

With the pandemic involved, they moved to Mendoza and the idea of ​​having children returned. The pregnancy was carried on by Charo as a surrogate mother. It is she who is breastfeeding him now and who spends the most time with the baby.

The rest of Tomás’s cares, like changing diapers and putting him to sleep, try to share equally. They confess in chorus that the hardest thing is “I can’t sleep straight” because the child requires a lot of attention.

In that daily learning that is motherhood, Charo says: “Nobody teaches you, everyone talks to you from experience but everyone lives it in his own way and there are things you learn when they touch you “.

Now the priority is the baby. Piti says that Charo is more comfortable with Tomás and she goes to work every afternoon as a coordinator of the lower divisions of the Marist Club, where she started her career.

This whole new life with the baby was planned. “The desire to be a mother was very strong. The pregnancy and the birth were wonderful ”.says Charo, who hailed from Belgrano Athletic Club and played between 2005 and 2001 in Las Leonas.

get pregnant, Luchetti underwent a treatment that included the donation of sperm and egg extracted by D’Eliathrough in vitro fertilization. “About 15 eggs were taken from me, of which 3 embryos remained, two are frozen and one is Tomi”Pitt said. the athlete born in Mendoza, who played as a defender between 2003 and 2011 in Las Leonas.

If they expand the family, it is possible that they will swap roles and that D’Elia is the surrogate mother. It’s the initial plan, but time will tell.

They had thought of the baby’s name in advance and there was no discussion between the couple. The most complicated thing was deciding which of the two surnames would bear the child of both first. As if it were the beginning of a game, the solution came with the lottery. Eventually, the coin fell to Piti’s side, they registered it as D’Elía Luchetti.

“Tomy is a very happy, cute and tender baby and he is starting to make his first sounds. We are happy,” says Piti, in love with her baby.

The family is complete I will bethe dog that Charo found on the street when he went to play a tournament at the Buenos Aires Cricket & Rugby Club. It was an impulse and he took it home. And from there to live in Mendoza.

The champions say that the ideal day to share with the family is Friday: “It’s the only day I don’t train and I can stay at home with Charo and Tomi. We have breakfast and go for a walk with the dog, we have fun the heat of the siesta and at sunset the grill is turned on to eat something tasty “, describes D´Elia.

Nostalgia for Las Leonas and an old rivalry

The two speak of Las Leonas as an accomplished and closed stage. And they acknowledge that they watch the games with nostalgia, but are convinced of the decision taken to leave the national team and have Tomás.

Luchetti confesses: “My career in the national team is over. I can’t imagine traveling and leaving Tomi for very long, much less being so young. I think that in that sport it has to evolve and create the conditions for an athlete to travel with his child“.

None of them are thinking of returning to play for the national team. “These are completed stages. There is nostalgia for everything I have achieved with the team and for what I have given them for more than 15 years. But we must leave the way to the new generations. I prefer to work quietly as a coach, ”DÉlia says about her present.

They keep in touch with other Lionesses, friends for many years who feel part of their family. They are informed and aware of how the team is, always alongside but now as fans.

Of the new formation of Las Leonas, Piti thinks: “I think the change of coach has done the team a lot of good (Editor’s note: Fernando Ferrara has replaced Retegui), we see something very beautiful, with many new faces among the players, even if they are girls who have a lot of gaming experience.

“We believe that the Lionesses will have a good World Cup (starts July 1 in Spain – Netherlands)”, they reaffirm.

Both are fans of the national team, including the football team. “Sitting down and watching World Cup matches is a great plan,” says Charo.

They admit they remain competitive: “Even when you talk to see who has the last word,” says Piti. And Charo remembers how fun it was to play against his girlfriend: “There was a good rivalry.”

Among the successes obtained with the Leonesse, the one they enjoyed the most was the 2010 World Cup final, in the city of Rosario. It was a perfect tournament, where they won seven consecutive games to clinch the unbeaten title against South Africa, Korea, Spain, China, England, Germany and the Netherlands.

What are the new projects, far from the Cenard

The near future will take them to some new sports-related destination they love so much. They think of Europe as a possibility. Although they are unsure whether as players or coaches. “We like to move, to change places”says Caro.

“We like to live in the moment, that’s what the national team left us, every moment must be lived and felt, We are happy now in Mendoza, but we do not plan what life will be like in 10 years“, argues Piti. However, he hints that a pending project is to spend a few seasons outdoors as players and coaches:” We cannot postpone any longer because the physique is not the same at 26 as it is at 36 “.

Piti has returned to play in the first Marista and Charo has just entered the training of that club in Mendoza. It is possible that next season they will end up playing for the same team.

“Playing together is something we really like, that’s where the competition ends, it’s a pleasure”says Caro.

And on the family project, there are also projects. “We would like Tomás to have a little sister or a little brother. Being an only child would be boring. “keep the lioness mothers.

Tomás has already received two T-shirts as a gift; one from the Marista club and another from Boca, because mothers are fans of xeneize.

No one has given him a hockey stick yet, although it will not be long in coming: “Not because we are lionesses, Tomi will have to play hockey. We want him to choose the sport he likes best,” says Piti.

His only wish is for his son to play a team sport because, he stresses, “it gives you so many tools for life” and you learn that “one is not above the other but depends on the team”. He conveys the spirit of belonging and dedication to the team that has been essential to the success of Las Leonas.