The dream “Paris 2024” has become a concrete goal for Alessandro Mazzeo. The 42-year-old swimmer from Messina, registered with the Onde Blu club, is ranked third at the Finp (Italian Paralympic Swimming Federation) Italian Short Course Championships, which took place in Ostia. Prestigious results, obtained in the 50 and 100 freestyle events of the Senior S7 category, closed with times of 37″33 and 1’22″95 respectively, which project him towards the Olympic “passes”.
«Swimming is giving me a lot – declares Mazzeo – the discovery, five years ago, of a spinal disease with a subsequent delicate operation, have radically changed my life. As an airline pilot I suddenly found myself projected into another dimension. Getting closer to the swimming pool was first a need and then a huge stimulus to react to health problems. At the beginning, I had to undergo a real motor re-education and knowing the reality of the Blue Waves, in the persons of the technicians Giovanna Amelotti and Lucia Di Stefano, helped me a lot. Thus, training began and, seeing my performance constantly improving, I decided to compete in federal competitions. Last summer I took part in two open water competitions and I got great satisfaction from the Italians.”
What is your competitive program now?
«I will respect the scheduled schedule to participate, in the month of March, in the Absolute Winter World Series Championships in Lignano Sabbiadoro, but my gaze goes beyond the Alps, because it would be wonderful to be there at the Paralympic Olympics in Paris, scheduled from 28 August to 8 September. I will give my all to achieve this – concludes Mazzeo -. In the French capital, I would represent my Messina and send the important message of never giving up even when adversities are serious and sudden.”