Obiettivo Tricolore in Padua: sport and inclusion

On 5 October, the Grande Staffetta Obiettivo Tricolore, the sixth edition of the event conceived in 2020 by Alex Zanardi, arrives in Padua.

From 20 September to 8 October, 50 paralympic athletes from Obiettivo3 will cross Italy in a relay, by handbike, bicycle, racing wheelchair and on foot, covering more than 2,000 kilometres and 20 stages, from Cervia to the grand finale in the setting of Barcolana58 in Trieste.
The relay returns to the roads of Italy in memory of its founder, who passed away last 1 May, to carry forward the message of social inclusion and the promotion of sport that Zanardi had made his mission.

As part of the Padua stage of the initiative, on Monday 5 October students of the University of Padua will have the opportunity to take part in three masterclasses and a sports village to discuss paralympic sport from different perspectives.

The event will also be an opportunity to learn more about the call for applications for the degree awards “Beyond the limit, inside sport”, promoted by Associazione Alumni Unipd with the support of Crédit Agricole Italia and the collaboration of Obiettivo3 and CUS Padova, aimed at those who address the relationship between sport, disability and inclusion in their thesis.

These are the masterclasses scheduled at the via Corrado venue of CUS Padova on Monday 5 October:  The meaning of sport, with Davide Cassani, former head coach of the National cycling team and ambassador for the day; Managing the paralympic athlete, with Giulia Ruffato, paralympic handbike champion; Technological innovation in assistive devices, with the engineers of Dallara Automobili, the company that developed, alongside Alex Zanardi, the Z-Bike, the handbike with which the champion won his paralympic medals.
From 11:30 to 13:00 in the Olympic village, within stations dedicated to the different paralympic disciplines (athletics, paracycling, archery, fencing, sitting volleyball, shooting, wheelchair rugby and basketball, paralympic dance, paraboxing and tchoukball), it will be possible to try paralympic sports first-hand, thanks to the collaboration of local organisations such as Padova Scherma, FITARCO, Padova Rugby and the other local sports associations involved.

At 14:00 the stage departs for Oderzo. Riding will be Padua paracyclist Massimo Salmaso, paratriathlete Andrea Brugnerotto and former cyclist and television commentator Davide Cassani, accompanied by a group of cyclists from Castelli Cycling.

It is possible to take part in the event by registering by 30 September at 12 noon.