Truro athlete ‘isolated and lonely’ before meteoric sporting rise
A Truro athlete with medals on his mind has spoken candidly about how, prior to his meteoric rise in the sport, he was isolated, lonely and never given a chance.
Fabio Zamparelli, 19, is a seven-time national shot put and discus champion in his F20 paraathletics classification – for people with intellectual disabilities – and has been the UK’s No. 1 in his favorite event for three years.
Having conquered the domestic scene and fresh from a first warm weather training camp in Cyprus, Fabio, who trains in the Midlands, is now looking for an opportunity to go global.
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But life hasn’t always been easy for Fabio and he has spoken about his past difficulties in life and how sport has opened doors for him.
Speaking ahead of SportsAid Week 2023, the SportsAid and Hargreaves Foundation-funded star said: “I have my sights set on the World Championships and the Paralympics and I’m delivering an international medal performance – I want to be an international world champion.
“Living in Truro is a far cry from training in Coventry or Loughborough so funding from SportsAid is essential as it helps with travel expenses, accommodation for training camps and competitions.
“Cyprus was amazing, I really learned a lot. I’ve improved my social skills, loved being part of a team and spending time with like-minded athletes.
“Before I went to Cyprus, my coach and I set some goals to plan my own training. We set a time frame and so that was one of the goals we had to achieve.
“I also worked on my shot put technique and that was really good because I was consistently making good shots.”
SportsAid Week 2023 is coming up, the annual campaign that started in 2016 will take place from Monday 6th March to Sunday 12th March.
This year’s theme focuses on “Accessibility and Inclusion” as the charity puts the spotlight on the country’s most talented young athletes and celebrates the incredible work being done by its partners to support the future of British sport.
The Accessibility and Inclusion theme is an opportunity for the charity’s partners to highlight their own work in this area during SportsAid Week, with SportsAid athletes recently revealing that accessibility and the cost of sport are issues close to their hearts lay.
It will also open discussions on the progress made as well as the challenges in the sports sector. And Fabio knows as well as anyone how important inclusion can be.
“Before the sport I was very lonely and excluded from all possibilities. I felt very isolated and people would never give me a chance to show them who I really am,” said Fabio, who is funded by SportsAid and commercial partner the Hargreaves Foundation.
“They would judge me on my disabilities and not on my abilities.
“Being a part of my sport has brought out my true qualities, I’m part of a community that believes in me and brings out the best in me and supports me through things.
“Through sport I can achieve other things, like a career as an athlete, but also a career after sport in the form of a coach or teaching assistant.
“Getting opportunities like everyone else is key to being a valued member of society and having meaning.”
Fabio ultimately proved himself in the shot put circuit, but his athletic journey didn’t start with athletics.
The teenager’s first sporting love was rugby, although a chance switch to athletics has helped him grow as an athlete and as a person.
He added: “I started athletics in the off-season. In terms of rugby and fitness I started with 200m and 400m but I wanted to try shot put and when I tried it I knew it was the event for me.
“Athletics has done a lot for me, it has helped me a lot. Because of this, I can communicate better with other athletes and get to know them better.
“I’ve enjoyed having exercise routines — I exercise six days a week. I also enjoy traveling to training camps and meeting new people. I like to learn and get better, and sport makes me feel good.
“My sport challenges me and I enjoy it a lot.”
SportsAid Week 2023 will take place from Monday, March 6th to Sunday, March 12th! Join us for an engaging week of fun and awareness-raising around the topic of accessibility and inclusion. please visit www.sportsaid.org.uk
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