A very demanding competition field, that of the Strait of Messina, which will see protagonists twelve athletes of the Paralympic Defense Sports Group (GSPD) which, for the third consecutive year, they will swim to the coast of Calabria starting from Torre Faro and swimming for 3,800 metres.
The event will be held on Sunday 16 June; have confirmed their presence, the Undersecretary of State for Defense Senator Isabella Rauti and the Inspector Admiral of the Port Authorities Luca Sancilio, Deputy Head of the V General Affairs Department of the Defense General Staff who will be on board an eight-person Jole boat. Certainly an event of great moral, symbolic and sporting value which the wonderful twelve athletes of the Paralympic Defense Sports Group (GSPD) will make fascinating and compelling, an example of great social integration. Together with the Paralympic athletes, there will be other athletes in the water, expert swimmers, who will cover the entire 3,800 meter course, others will take turns in the water in an exciting relay, while the last 100 meters will be covered by all 12 athletes who will swim together side by side, to symbolize the team spirit and harmony that animates all the members of the GSPD.
The Strait of Messina will thus become, for the third consecutive year, the “Theater” of an adventure launched by the GSPD (established in December 2014) and which includes those soldiers who have suffered a disability during service. The third edition of the crossing of the Strait of Messina represents a further success for the Defense Sports Group as it has reached increasingly higher levels, a source of pride and great satisfaction. The event, organized by the V Department of the SMD, it is carried out in collaboration with the local Navy and Harbor Master’s offices and, above all, thanks to the help of the “ASD Ulysse Nuoto”, an amateur sports association that has been organizing and coordinating both competitive and amateur crossings of the Strait for some time. For the first time this year, two other rowing boats will also participate, an 8 Jole from the Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia (NA) and a 4 Jole with a crew from the Circolo Canottieri Mincio (MN) in concert with the Canottieri Mondello (PA) . The Strait Crossing will be the first of two open water swimming activities for the current year; the GSPD athletes will also be involved in the “Barcolana Nuota”, a swimming competition, reserved only for members of the Italian Paralympic Swimming Federation (FINP), which will take place near the historic pier of Trieste and which precedes the week of events which culminates with the famous sailing regatta.
We report below the names of the participants: Gen.B. (RO) Roberto Como, Gold Medal for Army Valor (MOVE), Lt.Col. (RO) Giuseppe Erriquez, Cap. (RO) Piero Rosario Suma, Mar. Chief Massimiliano Riccio, Administrative Assistant Jacopo Maria Curzi Civilian role in service, Selected Officer Special Qualification Sergio Di Meo, Sergeant Davide Grasso, Nautical Technical Assistant Alessandro Mazzeo, – Officer Cadet Matteo Pieropan on leave, Technical Assistant Giuseppe Spatola Civilian role in service, Sergeant Salvatore Tumminia, 1st Graduate Marco Pallucca.
