Carlo Calcagni received at the Quirinale by President Sergio Mattarella: "My heart shakes"
On Wednesday, Carlo Calcagni will be received at the Quirinal Palace by President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella: “My heart shakes” explains the Paralympic champion.
“Today I will walk through the doors of the Quirinal Palace with an’emotion that runs through my soul and makes my heart tremble.
I will do it as an athlete, yes. But above all, I will do it as a man who has chosen to serve, as a servant of the state who wears the indelible marks of that choice.
To be summoned to the award ceremony of the World Paralympic Champions 2025, in the presence of President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, is an honor that goes beyond words, beyond medals.
It is the recognition of a path made of falls and rebirths, of pain transformed into strength, of sacrifice elevated to a mission.
BEFORE EVERY MEDAL, THERE’S A STORY
Every achievement in Paralympic sports stems from the ability to get back up when all seems lost.
It comes from iron discipline, from pain that one learns to master, from resilience that becomes second skin.
But behind every medal there’s always a bigger story.
Mine is the story of someone who chose to wear a uniform to serve others, knowing that that choice could change lives forever.
And that is exactly what happened.
A story marked by the’fulfillment of duty, by consequences that body and soul carry every single day, but also by the knowledge that serving was never a mistake, not even when the price to pay was extremely high.
I TAKE WITH ME THOSE WHO CAN NO LONGER DO IT
On this momentous day, at the Quirinal, I will not be alone.
I will ideally bring with me all the servants of the state:
– Those who have worn a uniform with pride and dignity
– Those who have paid a very high price for simply doing their duty
– Those who bear indelible marks, visible and invisible, in body and soul
– And especially those who never returned home, who fell in the’fulfillment of their mission
To them goes my deepest, most sincere, most eternal dedication.
Because no medal, no applause, no ceremony can ever live up to their sacrifice.
But memory, gratitude and respect can.
And they must be eternal.
PARALYMPIC SPORT: REBIRTH AND TESTIMONY
This recognition I see as a powerful message of hope for all:
Paralympic sport is not just competition.
It is rebirth: it is living proof that you can start over.
It is testimony: it is proof that pain can turn into strength.
It is service that continues in another form, by other means, but with the same dignity.
It is showing the world that even when everything seems to be falling apart, one can choose not to give up.
That one can choose to turn suffering into an example.
That one can choose to light the way for those who come after.
GRATITUDE AND RESPONSIBILITY
I wholeheartedly thank:
– The FISPES and the Italian Paralympic Committee for believing in us
– The technicians, doctors, families and all the people who work in the shadows so that no one is left behind
– Those who made this journey of rebirth through sports possible
But above all I thank those who, like me, continue to believe that serving the state was not a mistake, even when the price paid was devastating.
WITH THE PRESIDENT, WITH WHO IS NO LONGER THERE
Today, before the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, a symbol of the institutions I have served and continue to honor, I will not be alone.
I will be with those who can no longer do so.
I will be with those who have suffered in silence, bearing scars that the world does not see.
I will be with those who have given everything, asking nothing in return.
THE REAL VICTORY
Because, in the end, the real victory is not to come first.
The real victory is to never deny what you have been.
The real victory is to continue to witness, every day, the value of duty, dignity, sacrifice and life.
The real victory is to prove that one can be reborn, again and again, without ever betraying oneself.
Never give up and never forget.
Never stop serving, despite everything and everyone, no matter what the cost.
Today at the Quirinal I bring my story, but most importantly I bring your memory.
This medal is also yours… forever”.
