Sara Morganti

Started: She began riding at age 13 at the Del Drago of San Giuliano Terme club in Italy, and took up Para equestrian dressage in 2005. (saramorganti.eu, 30 Sep 2015; Athlete, 08 Aug 2012) Reason: She originally followed her sister into riding. After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1997, she continued to ride for pleasure. However, she missed the competitive aspect of the sport, so took up Para equestrian dressage. "Horses have always made me feel free and far from any kind of problem. I joined an equestrian centre and the coach told me, 'It's a pity you didn't arrive earlier because there's the Italian championship within a month'. I told her that I would try it anyway. I went to the championship and I won it. That's how it all began." (iodonna.it, 08 Nov 2018; saramorganti.eu, 30 Sep 2015; Athlete, 08 Aug 2012) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (annuariomediasport.it, 29 Apr 2023) Awards: She won the Top Women award at the 2023 Italian Sportrait Awards. (federnuoto.it, 14 Mar 2023) She was named Best Female Para Athlete of 2018 by the Italian Paralympic Committee. (giornaledibarga.it, 18 Jun 2019) In 2018 she received the Collare d'Oro al Merito Sportivo [Golden Collar for Sporting Merit] from the Italian Olympic Committee [CONI]. (noitv.it, 19 Dec 2018) At the start of 2014 she was presented with the Pegaso de Oro, given annually to Tuscany's Sportsperson of the Year. Later that year she was given the St. Christopher de Oro award from the city of Barga in Italy, which recognises a person who has brought honour to the country. (saramorganti.eu, 30 Sep 2015) Additional Info: OTHER ACTIVITIES In June 2018 she was named president of the athletes' commission for the Italian Paralympic Committee [CIP]. (paralympic.org, 28 Jun 2018) RIO DISAPPOINTMENT She was unable to compete at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro after her horse Royal Delight failed a veterinary inspection. "I was devastated, both then and for a long time after. I wanted to stop. It was so difficult to accept. I considered it unfair that something like that might happen. But I thought that I couldn't stop just like that. Nobody has said that life is fair and I have faced even bigger obstacles. So, I transformed that disappointment into even stronger motivation." (zetaluiss.it, 06 Aug 2022; paralympic.org, 28 Jun 2018; iodonna.it, 08 Nov 2018) FIAMME AZZURRE In 2021 she became the first Para equestrian rider to join GS Fiamme Azzurre, the sports group of the Italian prison police. (zetaluiss.it, 06 Aug 2022; lanazione.it, 18 Feb 2021; Fiamme Azzurre Facebook page, 17 Feb 2021)