Some stories remain private, while others, with time, find the courage to become a public gesture. "Terry the Little Backpack. A Journey Towards Freedom" is born this way: from a personal story of violence and rebirth, transformed into a concrete project capable of offering immediate help to women in the most fragile moment of their lives.

The project is promoted by Pedale Rosso, an association founded by Marianella Bargilli, a theater and film actress, television personality, author and host of cultural programs, and Paolo Bettini, world champion and Olympic gold medalist in cycling. Long committed to raising awareness against gender-based violence, Pedale Rosso presented the initiative in Livorno during a press conference hosted at the Nomellini Hall within the Livorno Provincial headquarters.

"Terry the Little Backpack" is named after Maria Teresa, called Terry, Marianella Bargilli's mother, a victim of domestic violence. A woman who found the strength to move away from a reality marked by pain to protect herself and her daughters. From that experience, a backpack is born today that becomes a symbol of journey, protection, and freedom, but also a real and immediate support tool.

The project involves distributing a small backpack containing essential first necessity items, particularly underwear and personal hygiene products, intended especially for women forced to leave their homes in emergency conditions. A simple, discreet, human gesture that helps preserve dignity in a moment of profound fragility and accompanies the first step towards a new possibility.

"This backpack is born from my mother's story," says Marianella Bargilli, "Terry was for me the image of a journey faced with strength, intelligence, and dignity. She was my invisible backpack. With this project, I wanted to transform a personal wound into a concrete gesture capable of helping other women not feel alone when they decide to save themselves."

Alongside her, Paolo Bettini, co-founder of Pedale Rosso, who chose to accompany his sports career with constant civic commitment, putting his visibility at the service of social and cultural initiatives capable of speaking to territories and communities.

Crucial for the project's implementation was the contribution of Progetto Ambiente, a Livorno training agency committed to social and entrepreneurial growth, which made the concrete launch of the initiative possible.

"We immediately recognized the profound value of 'Terry the Little Backpack'," declares Graziano Girotto, President of Progetto Ambiente – "That's why we chose to support it directly, contributing to the purchase of about 400 backpacks and making available skills, relationships, and a dedicated training path. It's a project that demonstrates how collaboration can transform into real impact."

The project also involves local institutions. In particular, Sandra Scarpellini, President of the Livorno Province, expressed her availability to promote the initiative within the network of territorial services, recognizing its social value and ability to integrate with policies countering gender-based violence, and ensuring the initiative's patronage.

A central element of "Terry the Little Backpack" is the collaboration with Federfarma Livorno, chaired by Riccardo Morelli, which makes possible the distribution of backpacks also through pharmacies, places of proximity, trust, and daily listening.

The participating pharmacies will be recognizable through dedicated informative materials and a QR code that will redirect to the project's platform, soon to be published. Here it will be possible to find clear and confidential information on how to activate, understand the initiative's functioning, and know how to request the backpack in the pharmacy.

Above all, the platform will allow identifying safe places — welcome centers, territorial services, facilities, and useful contacts — to undertake a path out of violence with the support of a structured network capable of guaranteeing discretion, guidance, and protection from the first step.

The backpack design bears the signature of Master Marco Lodola, an internationally renowned artist, who chose to support the project by creating an essential and symbolic image capable of evoking journey, transformation, and freedom (the "Terry the Little Backpack" text reproduces Marianella's mother's handwriting).

The project also develops thanks to a network of partners supporting Pedale Rosso in the various implementation phases of the initiative. Malandrone Moda supports the project by providing clothing items and involving producers and donors; Nobili Pubblicità and Ekavideo accompany the initiative by curating graphic and dissemination aspects; Zaki follows communication coordination and the overall project narrative. Lovren contributed by donating 400 shower gels, while Fimo donated 400 toothbrushes and 400 mouthwashes.

"Terry the Little Backpack" starts from Livorno but is born with a clear vision: to become a replicable model at the national level, capable of demonstrating how cooperation between associations, businesses, and institutions can generate concrete and immediate responses for those who need it most. Thanks to the network activated around the project, developments and contacts are already underway outside the province and beyond regional borders, confirming widespread interest and a possible extension of the initiative.