Rome 2024, Superheroes arrive in the city's schools

The Bid Committee launches the project "adopt" a Paralympic champion

Classes of sporting values from the center to the outskirts of the city

"Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something, even when it seems impossible, pull out your secret weapon: your optimism, your conviction, your strength of mind". It is not Jeeg Robot talking, and not even Superman or Batman: to give lessons to the students of the School via Macro (Casilino district), is Salvatore Iudica, football goalkeeper of the Italian National Amputee Soccer Team, great sportsman and true hero of life. Thanks to his lectures, the 4th and 5th grade children have learned another way to take the field: the will, the determination and the love of life are precious elements for real heroes, not those found in books. The Roma 2024 Bid Committee’s tour in the city’s schools to disseminate the values of sport started with the Paralympic sports champions taking the field with the school's children.

The Bid Committee’s project supports the workshops initiated by "La Scala di Corda Onlus" with the patronage of the IPC (Italian Paralympic Committee), that has been active for the last five years in the city and envisages that each school "adopts" a Paralympic athlete as their own Superhero.

The fifth edition was opened by Rufo Iannelli, captain of the Wheelchair Rugby club "Romanes", who explained his sporting experience and his Olympic desire to the young students of the school Carlo Levi in Castel Giubileo. To explain to the students of the M. Carotenuto (Acilia district) why "the wheels of wheelchairs are bent" to play basketball, are the Italian champions of Santa Lucia Giulio Papi and Marco Stupenengo. Maria Ligorio, Low Vision Athlete Paralympic silver medallist in the 100mt talked to the children of Piazza Sauli (Garbatella district). She does not know how to swim, she said, but she flies a paraglider; she doen’t play tennis but she drives a van with special commands, she practices indoor climbing and goes horseback riding. Is she a Wonder Woman in disguise? No, she says the secret is: "Having dreams and the right determination to achieve them". The tour of the schools of the city of Rome continues.

Ufficio Stampa

Comitato Roma 2024

Viale Olimpiadi 60, 00135, Roma

Tel. +39 06 3272.3173/3176

Email: stampa@2024roma.org

www.2024roma.org

www.facebook.com/ComitatoRoma2024

#WeWantRoma2024

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