On the opening day of the Tokyo Paralympic Games, three Vatican athletes met Pope Francis at a public reception on Wednesday and exchanged gifts with the Pope.
(Vatican News Network)Small but elite: Vatican athletes and Paralympic players describe their team this way. On August 25, the day when the Paralympic Games kicked off in Tokyo, the Vatican Athletes and Paralympic Games members participated in a public reception on Wednesday in the Paul VI Hall. Pope Francis greeted and thanked the athletes in Tokyo at the moment for “testing of hope and courage”, and saw with his own eyes the spirit of the “his” official Paralympic team, which is full of enthusiasm and courage. The Vatican Athletes and Paralympic Team was established in accordance with the law and has been recognized. As the Pope said, these athletes “show how sportsmanship can help people overcome seemingly insurmountable difficulties.”
Accompanied by Captain Giampaolo Mattei, two athletes of the Vatican Paralympic Team shook hands with the Pope to pay tribute and listened to the Pope’s instructions to encourage them to “move forward”. Gianluca Palazzi, a retired Vatican staff member, is a basketball coach even though he is in a wheelchair. Sara Vargetto is only 13 years old this year, but she is a well-loved figure among Vatican athletes. She is not only an excellent basketball player, but also an honorary member of the team. The two athletes briefed the Pope on their activities and plans to create opportunities for the disabled. They gave the Pope a sweatshirt of the Vatican athlete team. The pattern of the clothes showed a wheelchair athlete competing with other athletes, and it said: “Let’s run together.”
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