BETTELLA Francesco

Classification
S1 (IPC, 06 Aug 2021)

Type of Impairment
Impaired muscle power (corriere.it, 28 Aug 2012)

Origin of Impairment
Congenital (Athlete, 03 Dec 2017)

Impairment Details
He was diagnosed with axonal neuropathy at age three. The condition first caused him to lose the strength in his legs, and then in his arms. (corriere.it, 28 Aug 2012)

General
OTHER ACTIVITIES
He served as the president of the organising committee of the 2018 World Series event in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy. He also took part in the event as an athlete. "It is a great challenge as this time the event is not only 'just' the national championships, but one of the six World Series events. I had never imagined doing it in Lignano Sabbiadoro or in Italy." He has also served as a member of the federal council of the Italian Para Swimming Federation [FINP]. (Federica Fornasiero Facebook profile, 09 Jul 2021; finp.it, 03 Feb 2021; paralympic.org, 21 May 2018)

SHORT FILM
His life was featured in a short film titled 'Francesco' that was produced by the research centre Fabrica, a branch of Benetton Group. In the film, he talks about his early days when he was diagnosed with his condition, to his life in swimming and his passion for cars that helped him to become an engineer. (finp.it, 10 Jan 2018; disabili.com, 09 Dec 2017)

FURTHER EDUCATION
After he graduated with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Padua in Italy in 2013, he remained at the university to study for a master's degree in the same subject between 2013 and 2016. (LinkedIn profile, 01 Jan 2021)