'There is always a second chance with sport'

Francesca Porcellato, 13 Paralympic participations, lit the brazier: it matters to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities

by Dario Ricci

8 March 2026

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Thirteen Paralympic participations between summer and winter editions, with 15 medals won in athletics, cycling and cross-country skiing. But Francesca Porcellato, born in 1970 in Castelfranco Veneto, the 'flying redhead' (by virtue of the colour of her hair, whose nickname unites her with Eugenio Monti) of world Paralympic sport, still managed to thrill as she lit the brazier in Cortina, during the opening ceremony. "Maybe it is because I am from Veneto, maybe it is the second winter Paralympics in Italy after Turin 2006, maybe it is always a pleasure to get close to that sacred fire,' she says as she crosses Corso Italia, the heart of Cortina, with her wheelchair (her travelling companion since she was run over by a truck when she was 18 months old), right after lighting the Paralympic brazier.

Cortina will be the heart of this Paralympics: how did you see it preparing for the Games?

"In continuity with the Games that ended on 22 February. Edition after edition, the gap between the two events is getting smaller. There is a lot of excitement, I went to see the curling these days and people were enthusiastic and involved: it was beautiful!"

Fire that reignites in increasingly bitter days for the world: what message comes from the Paralympics?

"That life is to be loved and lived to the full. The other things are useless. A simple but fundamental concept. I am sorry that international tensions somewhat overshadow this event, but I am certain that the Paralympics will also bring a sign of hope'.

Turin 2006 improved our sports culture. Will the same happen with Milan Cortina?

"There will be a great legacy. We will learn and see new things, but above all, young people and children will learn and see them, and people who have acquired a disability will see possibilities in sport that they might not have thought of before. The most important legacy is the ability to reinvent oneself, to move forward despite everything".

Because the goal is not so much and only to find new champions, but to bring those who have never played sport closer to it, right?

"The athletes we admire during these days are a source of inspiration, and remind us that there is always a second chance, and that it often comes through sport, which also improves the quality of life for people with disabilities. Well-being and the happiness of practising the sport we enjoy are the real medals of this Paralympics, and they are truly achievable for everyone".

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