00:00Two champions at work.
00:04Meet Giorgio and Ariana.
00:06They're an artistic swimming duo.
00:09Ariana is a gold medalist at international competitions
00:12for athletes with Down syndrome.
00:14Giorgio, a four-time world champion in artistic swimming.
00:19For me, there's nothing better than artistic swimming.
00:23For me, sport is life, always keeping fit.
00:26It's a way of life, and I love it.
00:29Very good. Lift your upper body.
00:41Through sport, I've learned to smile more, to be more open.
00:49Ariana Sacrepante's life changed completely in 2007.
00:53She was taken on by Filippide,
00:55an artistic swimming project for people with Down syndrome.
00:582016 saw her win gold at the Trisome Games.
01:02Two years later, she met Giorgio Minicini.
01:05What started his training soon turned into a joint endeavor
01:08for inclusion and the fight against discrimination.
01:12I'd never worked with people with disabilities before.
01:18At first, I was afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing.
01:22As Ariana and I gradually got to know each other,
01:26we developed a personal connection.
01:29But what really bonded us from the start was the sport,
01:32a language we both understand.
01:36The medals in Giorgio Minicini's apartment tell a story of great success,
01:48both solo and with the Italian women's team.
01:51Yet, he has frequently faced backlash.
01:58People outside the sport would attack my sexuality,
02:01thinking if you do a sport that is considered feminine
02:04and is practiced almost exclusively by women, then you must be gay.
02:08But I also faced discrimination within the sport itself,
02:14from coaches and judges who considered a man in the sport to be inappropriate.
02:19So, let's go.
02:21Okay, let's go.
02:26Ariana trains four times a week, even without Giorgio.
02:30Her father, Valerio, says she's gained vital skills for daily life.
02:35He accompanies her to every session.
02:43The Filippide project was a turning point for us.
02:49I can tell you, Ariana and I are very proud of what we have achieved.
02:54Filippide was an incredible opportunity for us.
03:00They gave our family stability.
03:03We're really on a good path now.
03:06The coach, Sabrina Barnabé, was an artistic swimmer herself.
03:26She now trains 20 athletes with Down syndrome.
03:29When you see people like Giorgio and Ariana in the water,
03:36all you see is two athletes.
03:39Pure sport.
03:40It's no longer about a world champion or an athlete with a disability.
03:45We always talk about inclusion.
03:48But when you see the two of them, inclusion just seems like a matter of course.
03:52Still, it was something they both had to fight for.
04:01But the fight isn't over yet.
04:03Currently, there are no official competitions for a duo like theirs.
04:07Not at the World Championships nor the Paralympics.
04:10As soon as we're given the chance, we'll take it.
04:17Honestly, we just go for it.
04:21Thank you very much.
04:22Thank you very much.
Comments