Paralympics: Francesca Porcellato, the 'Flying Red' who has been dancing since Seoul 1988

Paris, 30 August 2024 – At the twelfth Paralympic Gamesand, between summer and winter, Francesca Porcellato She hasn't lost count of all her record numbers yet and, in Paris, she will be competing in para-cycling, the 'Flying Red', a nickname she likes ("It reflects me", she says, because her first goal, from memory, was to make the wheelchair go faster) and which makes her unique, as does her history as a total athlete among athletics, skiing and handbike, with triumphs in each of the three disciplines in which she competed at a competitive level.

So where to start? Maybe here: when he first participated, competed and won, Italy was governed by Christian Democracy, the Soviet Union still existed, the Berlin Wall still divided East Germany from West Germany and the Cold War between the USA and the USSR was still a reality. In short, it was Seoul 1988, and the world of Paralympic sport had not yet reached the diffusion or visibility it has today. Porcellato was among the pioneers of a movement who helped raise civil awareness, and did so through competitions and medals. Which are 14, assuming that some were not lost along the way. Veneta from Castelfranco, trained by Dino Farinazzo who has been her boyfriend for 35 years, has received honors from three Presidents of the Republic: Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, Giorgio Napolitano and Sergio Mattarella, as proof of the longevity, versatility and competitive spirit of a woman who, at this point, can also afford to look to the Paralympics Milan-Cortina, not necessarily as an athlete, but as an icon, also because the opening ceremony will be in Verona, her city of choice. After all, who has an athlete like Francesca Porcellato? Her age? It's not a mystery, but a source of pride: on September 5th she will celebrate 54 years old, and that very day is scheduled road racing, which he will compete in after competing in the time trial. Try to imagine what his ideal gift would be.