For her in past years also climbing, cycling and water skiing titles. His mantra is “If you want, you can”. On the track with the coach Patrizio Andreoli
IVREA
She won the Paralympic World Climbing Championships title in Spain in 2014. And now she has become Italian champion in the 400 meters category T11-absolute blind. The title arrived at the meeting in Concesio, in the province of Brescia. Alessia Refolo, 31 years old in a few days, an athlete from Ivrea confirms herself as an absolute sportsman and an icon of Paralympic sport.
As a child she survived neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer. But the medications for the treatments have irremediably damaged her vision.
“I am blind – he explains on his website – but always thanks to my favorite mantra” If you want, you can “I do not allow this problem to limit me and I do my utmost in everything I do in order to achieve the goals I I prefix “.
Goals that the Ivorian athlete began to collect from a very young age and have marked his path A success, the latter at the Italian athletics championships, pursued and achieved.
“I had been waiting for almost two years to win the gold and, while holding this medal that was given to me after running the 400 meters, believe me when I say that I still find it hard to believe I have made it – says Alessia – difficult workouts in the middle distance, during the first lockdown, they took me to the podium by winning the silver, but I didn’t feel fully satisfied, so much so that I was encouraged to try again the following year in speed ».
A challenge won together with Patrizio Andreoli, friend and athletic trainer with whom Alessio prepared many challenges and meticulously planned many successes. «The strategy agreed with Patrizio to better manage the competition corresponded to a gradual increase in speed in each segment from 100m and so we did. “There are 30 meters left, you are in the lead”, Patrizio told me on the final straight while my legs were moving fast to reach the finish line first ».
Alessia Refolo has also successfully ventured into water skiing. He won the Italian championship. And in 2018 she climbed to the top step of the podium at the European championship in France.
At the invitation of Alex Zanardi she also dedicated herself to two wheels. And last April the gold arrived at the Italian paragliding road championships in Marina di Massa. Now Patrizia is enjoying the victory but will scrupulously respect a strict training schedule that will lead her to reach other ambitious goals because if it is true that “if you want, you can” there are sacrifices, dedication and hard training. –