The Paralympics starts in the sign of women

The Paralympics began in the sign of women: in Cortina, Chiara Mazzel, with her guide Nicola Cotti Cottini, won the silver medal in the downhill, category visually impaired (i.e. those who have a reduced ability to see), with fifth place for the other Italian Martina Vozza, with her guide Ylenia Sabidussi. 'I am satisfied,' Chiara said at the finish line, 'I trained hard and put my all into it. Above all, the 29-year-old athlete from Val di Fassa thanks "all the people who have followed me and helped me over the years, especially after 2018, when I lost my sight due to glaucoma. I have been skiing since I was a child but I started competing after the disease, when I discovered the Paralympic Games thanks to the 2018 edition in Pyeongchang. I had come from a long period where I was locked in my room, I thought my life was no longer worthy and, instead, with Paralympic skiing I started a new path full of freedom'. Which he also recounted in the book Misfortune, a fortune! Come fare della propria disabilità una forza (Pathos Edizioni), written with Dario Ozzimo.

And who knows, maybe the races of Chiara and the Azzurri engaged in Milan Cortina will not be an inspiration for other people with disabilities unaware of the thousands of paths of Paralympic sports: 'the home edition,' hopes Mazzel, 'with RAI coverage will make our world, our efforts and our successes known to all. Chiara, who is part of the Fiamme Gialle, lives between intense training and competitions: gym every day, in winter six days out of seven on the track and in summer climbing or cycling to strengthen her muscles. In his trophy cabinet there are three gold and two silver medals at the World Championships and participation in Beijing 2022. After yesterday's downhill, Mazzel will compete in Super G, alpine combined, giant slalom and slalom: 'It's an intense programme, but this is my dream, to give my best in front of my fans. To become an inspiration and break down prejudices through sporting feats.

As Veronica Yoko Plebani, a multifaceted athlete with four editions of the Games behind her, from Sochi 2014, when she put herself to the test in snowboard-cross, to Paris 2024, with her triathlon silver medal: 'The winter edition compared to the summer one offers more intimacy because there are fewer participants and, in the everyday life, it is possible to build friendships that last for a long time. In Sochi 2014, I was 18 years old, everything was exciting, even just receiving the blue kit. And then being in the Olympic Village, with kids from every corner of the world, makes you realise that your story is everyone's story, your emotions everyone's emotions. Veronica was also the protagonist of the opening ceremony at the Arena in Verona, carrying the Italian flag for the flag-raising ceremony: "The event at home," she reflected, "can mark a turning point: Paralympic sport is rich, you will see it in all the competitions, athletes and female athletes are committed to the goals they believe in. Without being heroes but men and women full of dreams.

Arianna Talamona, swimmer and medallist on the Italian national team, also emphasises that it is time to talk about disability in a modern way: 'If we only ever show the welfare side, we only tell one side and this creates prejudice. A Paralympic Games is not a hobby, it is years of preparation, sport at the highest level and Paralympic athletes are not heroes, but athletes. Calling them heroes is often an elegant way of continuing to consider them exceptions, not sporting normality'.