On March 26, the Language Centre UV organized a conference by Paralympic swimmer Alessia Berra, who shared her inspiring experience with an audience that was able to experience the Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medal with their own hands.
Alessia Berra (Milan, Italy, 1994) cum laude graduate in Sports Science in the University of Milan, in the speciality of Activities Adapted for People with Disabilities, she is now working in Valencia as a professional swimmer, a sport that she combines with the English studies in the Language Centre UV.
She had just published her autobiography “La criniera della leonessa", a story where she unmasked and faces the challenges that life has put in front of her. “I’ve been in the swimming pool since I was few months old, when my mother wanted me to learn to swim and, at the age of eight I started to competir”, she recalled.
Only a year later she was diagnosed with Stargardt syndrome, a degenerative retinopathy that leads her to have low vision. Her reaction is one of anger and fear, so she refugees behind a “lioness mask” to go on, although she realizes that is not the solution.
She faces the world and does it through teaching and swimming. The first, provides satisfaction because it allows her carry out her project of inclusion in schools with the view to promote the culture of respect and diversity through sports; the second, requires more sacrifice but in exchange it has rewarded her with more then 15 international medals, among them, silver in Tokyo 2020.
Alessia starts in the competition sport with the Italian Swimming Federation and in 2015 she starts to prepare herself for the Rio Paralympic Games. Her determination serves to not to decay and fight day by day, from the professional sport practice to the real inclusion in the education and business.
“I compete in an international level every year: Wold Cup, European…, and the Games every four years in the butterfly speciality. I went through a critical period before Tokyo 2020, I overcame it and got a big surprise winning the silver medal. Now, I’m working to classify in the World Cup that will be in Singapur in September”, she explained.
In Valencia she feels at ease and her determination to make this society better takes her to devote part of her time to share with the teenagers the importance of working to achieve their goals. “When I give this talks I am always left with the question of whether have told everything I wanted, so I decided to write my autobiography, so the students could get inspiration and know that the requirements are not necessary, but with motivation and will we can get whatever we propose”, she affirmed.
The conference organized by the Language Centre of the Universitat de València was of special interest for the students of Italian Language. It was on Wednesday, 26th of March, in the Assembly hall with free entry.
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