Anthony Giovacchini, former Stanford standout and professional basketball player in Italy, faced years of chronic ankle sprains that limited his performance and forced him to rely on braces, tape, and orthotics.
Then came a devastating Lisfranc fracture—a career-threatening injury. Doctors told him the best outcome would be walking without pain, not returning to professional basketball.
That’s when Anthony discovered Delos and the Riva Method. Guided by strength coach Roberto Bianchi, he trained consistently, rebuilding his foot and ankle stability through high-frequency proprioceptive training.
The results were life-changing:
- Four straight seasons without a single ankle sprain
- Playing in low-top shoes, with no tape, no braces, no orthotics
- A stronger, more resilient body than ever before
Today, Anthony is injury-free and dedicated to bringing Delos and the Riva Method to athletes in the United States.
I was a scholarship basketball player at Stanford University and went on to play 11 seasons of professional basketball in Italy. Midway through my career, while playing for Cantù, I was first introduced to Delos and the Riva Method through our strength and conditioning coach, Roberto Bianchi. At the time, I had no idea just how much of an impact this system would have on my life.
During my college years, I suffered from chronic bilateral ankle sprains. Stanford is a world-renowned institution, and Stanford Hospital treats patients from all over the globe. My doctors and therapists tried everything available at the time to help me. They followed the standard best practices: traditional “balance” exercises, manual resistance drills to “strengthen” my ankles, orthotics meant to “fix” the issue, and every possible variation of tape, braces, and shoes. Nothing worked. I played through most of my college career in pain, always limited in performance. The same problems followed me to the early years of my professional career in Italy. I would stockpile ankle braces from the U.S. and travel with multiple pairs of orthotics just to be ready for the season.
By the end of my career, however, I played four consecutive seasons without missing a single game due to ankle sprains—wearing low-top shoes, with no tape, no braces, and no orthotics. Ironically, what set this transformation in motion was not my ankle sprains, but a far more serious injury.
In the first games of my debut season with Cantù—before I had the chance to train extensively with Delos—I suffered a rare and severe injury: a Lisfranc fracture dislocation. It went undiagnosed for an entire month. I underwent surgery 33 days after the incident, when in fact surgery for this injury should normally take place immediately. I was fortunate to have a skilled surgeon in Milan, but even he believed the best possible outcome was simply walking pain-free—not returning to professional basketball.
Under the guidance of Roberto Bianchi, I began rehabilitation, working with Delos three to four times per week. At first, I trusted Roberto but didn’t fully grasp how Delos could help me. Progress came gradually. As I trained consistently, I began to notice measurable improvements in my proprioceptive control through objective assessments, and, more importantly, I felt deep changes in the structure and stability of my foot and ankle. My injured midfoot was subjected to less mechanical stress while its tolerance to impact forces grew stronger.
What struck me most was the realization that, out of all the “balance” and ankle rehab I had done in my college years, Delos and the Riva Method were the only approach that truly built resilience—resilience that translated directly onto the court.
I am absolutely convinced that my recovery from the Lisfranc injury—and the subsequent health of my ankles—would not have been possible without Delos. That experience gave me the motivation to continue working with Delos and the Riva Method even after I retired from playing. Today, I am proud to collaborate with Delos and Dr. Riva to bring this method to athletes and professionals in the United States.
