“Athlete of the Year”. The 2021 award to Monica Boggioni

Ceremony at the Aquae Campus of the Sports Veterans Union. The Paralympic champion also awarded the knighthood

PAVIA. Paralympic swimming champion Monica Boggioni, winner of three bronze medals at the Tokyo Games, has received the prestigious “Athlete of the Year” award from the “Gino Grevi” section of the National Union of Veterans of Sport. During the evening at the Aquae d Pavia Campus the “Memorial Lazzari” prize was also assigned to the Pavia volleyball players Asia Aliotta and Linda Moretti, aged 15 and 14, who won the Italian under 16 beach volleyball championship in Caorle (Asia and Linda are also provincial champions under 15), while the “Aurelio Chiappero” award went to Alessandro Frega, a field hockey player.

“It was an important event for the Grevi section which celebrated half a century of activity in the best possible way – underlines Ilario Lazzari, national councilor for veterans of sport”; among others were present the general secretary Prandi, the delegate of the provincial Coni Luciano Cremonesi and the municipal councilor for sport Pietro Trivi.

Monica Boggioni thanked: «It was a pleasure and an honor to receive this recognition for the results obtained in Japan. I remain convinced that, beyond personal satisfaction, every award I receive would also represent an example to ensure that other boys and girls approach sports, as I did ». Monica just a few days ago received another coveted recognition: the nomination as knight of the Italian Republic. «It took me by surprise – the 23-year-old swimmer from Pavia says with a smile – it was an immense honor to receive this recognition from President Mattarella because it is the culmination of an extraordinary summer, with three podiums in my first Paralympics. Becoming part of the Register of Knights of the Republic is an honor, but it also represents a great responsibility, which increases my commitment to always be worthy of it ».

The Italian championships and then the world championships

In any case, between one ceremony and another, Monica does not neglect training and next weekend she will participate in the absolute Italian short course championships in Riccione. “It is the first real projection test in the Paris 2024 Paralympics – the blue of Paralympic swimming closes – in mid-December there will be a trophy in Brescia, then the competitive season can be said to be over, but not my job, because I’m already aiming for world championships in Portugal scheduled from 12 to 18 June ».Maurizio Scorbati