To Carlo Calcagni the ANSMES 2026 Award: "Honor and Responsibility"

Paralympic champion Carlo Calcagni was awarded the ANSMES 2026 Award. “There are moments in life that do not just represent a milestone, but become a symbol. A symbol of all that one has experienced, faced and overcome. Receiving the “ANSMES 2026 Award″ is an immense honor for me, but above all it is a responsibility: that of continuing to testify, every day, that even from the hardest trials something extraordinary can be born. This recognition is not only mine. It is of those who have stood by me always, never leaving me alone. It is from those who believed in me when all seemed lost. It is from those who fight a silent battle every day. Every result is the result of teamwork, of an invisible but fundamental network,” says the colonel.

“A deep thanks to FISPES, where I found not only an opportunity, but a real family. A family that allowed me, together with all the staff, no one excluded, to put myself on the line and achieve goals that today represent the highest level in the world. Heartfelt thanks go to the Italian Paralympic Committee, CONI and all the sports institutions, for their continuous and concrete support. Special thanks to the institutions present, including the Vice-President of the Puglia Region and Councillor for Sport, Christian Casili, the Regional President of CONI, Angelo Gilberto, the Regional President ANSMES and CONI Delegate of Lecce, my friend Luigi Renis, and the President of the Pugliese Paralympic Committee, Gianni Romito.”

“Your presence was a strong, authentic and deeply meaningful signal. A special thought goes out to all the medical and health staff, who every day allow me to still be here, to fight, and above all to continue to be useful to others. My life has taught me that pain can become strength, that limitation can turn into possibility, that every fall can be the beginning of a new climb. Today more than ever I feel a duty to share this message: sports, discipline, sacrifice and love of life can truly change a person’s destiny. Thank you all – because this award is ours. Never give up, despite everything and everyone, no matter what the cost.”