Angela Procida

Started: She took up swimming at age 14 in Naples, Italy. (Athlete, 09 Sep 2019) Reason: "A friend of my mother advised me to try Para swimming, which I didn't even know existed. I immediately wanted to try the sport because I always liked to swim and feel free in the water." (swim4lifemagazine.it, 17 Mar 2016) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (abilitychannel.tv, 24 Jan 2024) Additional Info: PARA CYCLING She has represented Italy in Para cycling and won silver in the H2 road race at the 2023 Road World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. She had started competing in the sport in March 2022, and triumphed in her category in her first competitive race at a local event in Italy. "It was a new experience for me to compete in my first handcycling race. I have a lot to talk about, from the emotions I felt to the surprise of the results. It was one of the most beautiful experiences I've had." (magliaazzurra.federciclismo.it, 07 May 2022; Facebook page, 05 May 2022, 26 Apr 2022, 29 Mar 2022; stabiachannel.it, 29 Mar 2022) POLITICAL CANDIDATE She stood as a candidate in the 2020 regional elections in Campania, Italy. "I had wanted to go into politics for some time. I had the opportunity to express my values, but above all the needs of the people. I want to be the person who can give people hope for change. Nowadays the most important thing to bring to the attention of the political world is respect for the rights of every person. The experience has allowed me to grow as a person, and moreover it has allowed me to start giving a voice to those who have not had one for too long." (abilitychannel.tv, 26 Oct 2020) BEAUTY CONTEST In 2018 she took part in the Miss Wheelchair Italia beauty contest. (bresciaoggi.it, 25 Nov 2018)