Paglia sets new Paralympic Nordic skiing record; Italy’s president and prime minister praise his feat

Gianfranco Paglia, an Italian lieutenant colonel and Gold Medal of Military Valor for the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, achieved a new benchmark in his “2 hours no limits” challenge designed to show that disability is not a barrier to sport or life. On the Armentarola track in Corvara (Val Badia), under sunny skies and with a support team in place, Paglia covered 14.360 kilometers in two hours, improving on his previous best of 11.680 kilometers set on January 31 in Val di Fiemme.

Paglia is the first tetraplegic athlete to take on sitting Nordic skiing in this format. He emphasized that while the effort is exhausting, the desire to convey a message of perseverance and inclusion is stronger. He called for the removal of architectural and cultural barriers and thanked the Defense Ministry, FISIP (the Italian Paralympic Winter Sports Federation), sponsors, guides, and the national Paralympic Nordic skiing team for their support.

Several notable figures attended the event at Armentarola, including Olympic cross-country champion Manuela Di Centa (two golds at Lillehammer 1994), fencer Mara Navarria, Undersecretary of Defense Isabella Rauti, and actress Serena Autieri, along with Italy’s Paralympic Nordic skiing team.

In the aftermath of the performance, Paglia received congratulations from Italy’s Head of State Sergio Mattarella by phone, who praised not only the athletic result but also the message it sends ahead of the Milano–Cortina Winter Games. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also posted her congratulations on X, calling it a feat that goes beyond sport and reflects courage, determination, and a love of life.