When they placed the medal around my neck, I could hardly believe I'd won my first gold medal in the 25-meter backstroke.
Now more than ever, I'm focused on my next race—whether it's at Tre Fontane or somewhere else doesn't matter, because I know I have a team behind me who believes in me. That team is Enrico, Monica, and Valentina.
The one thing I want to tell every boy and girl who, like me, lives with a disability is to come try whatever sport calls to you—swimming or anything else. It doesn't matter what it is. What matters is not shutting yourself away out of fear that you won't find people who believe in you and your athletic abilities. I'm telling you this as someone who, since I joined the FINP, discovered a part of myself I never knew existed. That's why I'll be grateful forever, infinitely grateful!
English version: My first victory