Assunta Legnante is an Italian Paralympic shot put and discus medalist, with two golds and one silver in the former discipline, and a silver in the latter. Her talent was clear from an early age. She told the International Paralympic Committee, "At school, I started experimenting with different disciplines of athletics, running, jumping, until they put a weight in my hand and the teachers noticed that I was capable."
While Legnante was born with congenital glaucoma, it was not until 2009 that she lost the sight in her right eye, and 2011 in her left. This meant she actually first competed for Italy at the Olympics in 2008, and it wasn't until 2012 that she debuted at the Paralympic Games. To level the playing field, so to speak, between athletes with different levels of visual impairment, they wear eye masks when competing. Legnante has become famous for hers, known as "Diabolik" and "Uomo Tigre" (pictured).
Even though with all her success she could retire proudly, Legnante still plans to keep competing, even hoping to make it to the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, when she will be 50 years old. Her reason? Despite all the traveling she's done while dominating the sport, somehow, she's never been to the U.S., and she really wants to go. She told the Olympics Channel, "It sounds silly, but it's my biggest dream."
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