Monica Graziana Contrafatto

Started: She took up Para athletics in 2014 but a knee injury meant she did not compete until 2015. Her first competition was in Rome, Italy. (NPC, 15 Oct 2015) Reason: She was inspired to take up the sport after watching Italian Para sprinter Martina Caironi win gold in the T42 100m at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. She was in hospital recovering from the injuries she sustained in Afghanistan at the time, and has since competed against Caironi. (NPC, 15 Oct 2015) Ambition: To win a gold medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (ilmessaggero.it, 11 Feb 2023) Awards: In 2020 she received the Gold Medal for Sporting Valour from the Italian Paralympic Committee [CIP]. (today24.info, 04 Aug 2020) Additional Info: ARMY CAREER She served as a corporal in the Italian Army, having first joined in June 2006 as a volunteer. She first went to Afghanistan from November 2009 to April 2010, but during her second mission to the country in 2012 she sustained her impairment. She was the first female soldier in the Italian Army to receive a gold medal for bravery, which she was awarded in May 2015. (alleyoop.ilsole24ore.com, 14 Nov 2019; ilgiornale.it, 26 Mar 2012; ilsole24ore.com, 25 Mar 2012) BIOGRAPHY In 2018 she released her biography, which is called 'You don't know how strong you are'. (mondadoristore.it, 25 Sep 2018)