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18 August 2025

Malika Bellomi: How Sailing is a Mirror

Getting to know the real you out in the water.

Voices from the Sea

The Making Waves journey continues, a project that recounts authentic stories of the women sailors SLAM has chosen to support on their voyage through sport and life.

After getting to know Sofia Giondi, in this new episode we step into the world of Malika Bellomi – a sailor who stood out for her talent from her very first regattas, proving her ability to combine determination and awareness, technique and passion.

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Sailing as a Journey of Self-Discovery

Malika began sailing at the age of seven and has never disembarked since, just like her brother Mosè. Following her first steps aboard the Optimist and later her international-level experiences on the 29er and Waszp, she now races in the RS21 class with the team "Magique et Terrible".

Both sailor and student, for Malika, sailing is so much more than just a sport: it is a way of getting to know oneself, of growing and of building new spaces for women. Sailing is a lens through which to read the world, a companion in coming of age, and a constant challenge against oneself and the environment.

'To say that it is just a sport is reductive,' she says. 'I am who I am today because of sailing.'

'Whenever I feel lost, I look out to the sea'

Malika found in taking to the waves a way to truly get to know herself, to learn core values such as determination, confidence, and resilience.

Along with Magique et Terrible, the women's team taking part in the RS21 class, has embarked on a very specific journey: to drive forward a project that is both a competitive pursuit and a declaration of intent.

«

We don't want to go unnoticed – we want to make waves.

»

The bond that exists between the girls on the team is deep, visceral even.

'They call it sisterhood,' explains Malika, 'but the connection is something much more profound. An invisible, powerful bond that makes us stronger, safer. It is what makes us feel at ease, even in a world where even just our presence is not yet the norm.'

The crew – a vibrant, loud, smiling line-up – is fuelled by a shared passion for sailing and a common commitment to change.

'We are all young women with crystal-clear ideas. This is not just a dream: it's what makes us get up every morning and want to get back out there on the water.'

But Malika is also no stranger to fatigue

'Sometimes I feel underestimated. In order to be able to go on, you first need to believe in yourself. And that's no easy task, especially when you lack a sense of certainty around you.'

The young sailor, however, has found ways to ground herself, her own simple and personal rituals: making the bed every morning, taking a quarter of an hour to be with herself before each race.

'I need it to refocus and restore my calm, my concentration.'

Speaking of the future, Malika imagines a fairer, more accessible, more open sport.

'I want to break down barriers, not just gender barriers but economic and social ones too. I’ve seen far too many talents forced to give up. Sport, whatever sport that may be, should have no labels.'

With Magique et Terrible, Malika and her teammates are writing another page in the history of women's sailing: smiling, determined, and inclusive.

«

We were forged by the sport. Now it’s time we give something back to it, for all the young women who will come after us.

»

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Malika Bellomi: How Sailing is a Mirror

Voices from the Sea

Sailing as a Journey of Self-Discovery

'Whenever I feel lost, I look out to the sea'

We don't want to go unnoticed – we want to make waves.

But Malika is also no stranger to fatigue

Speaking of the future, Malika imagines a fairer, more accessible, more open sport.

We were forged by the sport. Now it’s time we give something back to it, for all the young women who will come after us.

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Voices from the Sea

Sailing as a Journey of Self-Discovery

'Whenever I feel lost, I look out to the sea'

We don't want to go unnoticed – we want to make waves.

But Malika is also no stranger to fatigue

Speaking of the future, Malika imagines a fairer, more accessible, more open sport.

We were forged by the sport. Now it’s time we give something back to it, for all the young women who will come after us.

Dress like Malika and her Magique et Terrible teammates