Paralympic champion Ambra Sabatini: How I found the 'strength' to resume my athletics career and inspire other people
The image is still seared in the minds of Italian fans since their 'magical' summer of 2021 and has become an iconic picture of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Ambra Sabatini, after leading a podium clean sweep in the 100-metre final of the T63 category, celebrates with teammates Martina Caironi and Monica Contraffatto, mimicking the pose of the 'Charlie's Angels', all wrapped by their national flag.
The Para sprinter will wave the tricolore again in 100 days after being named Italian flag-bearer for the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
“It's a dream I've always had in my drawer, a dream that every athlete has the moment they start competing, and to be able to do it this year is an additional source of pride,” shared the reigning Paralympic champion after.
We spoke exclusively with the 100m T63 world record holder about how her journey to Paris 2024 looks different compared to Tokyo, and how she transformed from a 'shy girl' into a source of inspiration for many people.
Monica Contraffatto (L), Ambra Sabatini (C), and Martina Caironi (R) during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
The dramatic accident and the rehab: 'I have to get back into running!'
On 5 June 2019 Sabatini was aboard a scooter travelling to Grosseto, Tuscany, unaware of how dramatically her life would change that day.
The then 17-year-old was involved in a serious road accident, resulting in the amputation of her left leg above the knee.
However, Sabatini, a middle-distance runner, refused to let the accident end her sporting career.
Determined to pursue her dreams, she immediately began her rehabilitation journey, focusing on returning to sports. She first tried swimming and then cycling.
“The strength, I think, came precisely from the desire to get back into the game, to resume my daily routine and return to the track. Maybe that was the one thing that gave me strength at that moment. The spark of 'I have to get back into running' clicked right away,” the 22-year-old admitted.
Despite the challenges, the Paralympic champion never gave up: “Of course I had moments when I was tired, I felt down, however they were just moments that were then part of the journey. The general mood was to get back on track.”
Then, in June 2020, exactly one year after the accident, she received her first racing prosthesis.
“One of the most difficult moments was when I put the prosthesis on because I thought I would have a good feeling right away. At that moment I got scared because I said, “How can I run with this tool?” I had to be patient.”
And patience paid off. Little did she know, but she was about to write Para athletics history.
From Tokyo 2020 to Paris 2024: A different journey
Life is unpredictable.
It can happen that, two years after an accident that turned your existence upside down, you find yourself on the top step of the podium with a gold medal around your neck.
“I had the accident in 2019, in 2020, precisely one year later, I started wearing the racing prosthesis. Then, with the arrival of the pandemic, I had the fortune (or misfortune) of the postponement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and this situation allowed me to have more time and qualify for Tokyo 2020.”
“It was a somewhat different journey from what many athletes go through: my participation in the Olympic event in the Japanese capital was quite improvised. I have so many things to learn, so many experiences to have, and the post-Tokyo taught me well. I had to find a balance again.”
Under new coach Pasquale Porcelluzzi, the Italian sprinter has started her process of readjustement: “Fortunately, there was immediately a good feeling with the whole environment.”
Then she added: “It took time to adapt, to allow my body to absorb new notions and new loads. It was a bit challenging, because in 2022 I couldn't get what I wanted, even though I was training harder and better.
“It was a little frustrating at the time, however, I had confidence in the method we had chosen together. So, I knew that sooner or later the results would come.”
Hard work always pays off, and finally Sabatini can see the progress: “If I look at the race in Tokyo and compare it with the race in Paris, the one from last year's world championships, yes, I see a lot of improvement.
“Posture has improved so much: in the best conditions, I can not contract my shoulders. I rewatched the video of the Tokyo finish many times, of course it was a very different situation, I was a bit nervous, a bit excited, so it was normal.”
Ambra is now embracing her journey to Paris 2024 in a different way:
“I think Paris will be like a kind of first time for me, because I can finally make a more complete path with a little bit more experience, even though I still consider myself always a 'newcomer'.
“These Games I think will be my first full experience from the point of view of preparation, because it's been three years, and then because there will finally be an audience and I still don't really know what to expect. I am aware that it will be something spectacular, because I have never experienced such an event.
“Tokyo, unfortunately, was behind closed doors and the family was away. It was nice because although the stadium was huge, it still gave you a sense of closeness, however, this time it will be just a unique spectacle. And this thing, perhaps, is what excites me the most.”
The world record holder (13:58) is ready to sport her lucky braids again and is looking forward to reliving the goosebumps before the big event: “The most important moment I think is the moment right before the start, when you are behind the screens and waiting to be called. That is priceless.”
Ambra Sabatini celebrates her gold medal at the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.
No limits for Ambra Sabatini: Chasing records and new challenges
Before her accident, the Italian athlete was a middle-distance specialist and the transition to sprint wasn't easy:
“Many things changed: obviously the training method, but also the mentality. In a 100-meter race, everything is decided in a few seconds.”
She explains: “I used to be very tactical in middle-distance races. But in sprinting, you have to react immediately. In the end, this is something I like and that motivates me a lot: even though it definitely takes a lot of nervous energy and the effort is different. Middle-distance running has really shaped how I approach training, even the toughest workouts. It’s something that has given me an advantage.”
An epitome of tenacity and wilpower, Sabatini is already looking out to new challenges: “I would like to try the 200 metres as well. Considering that my running style might be more suited to that distance, it would be an opportunity for me to participate in another event. After Paris, I would also like to try long jump; that would be great.
She hopes to be able one day to compete in the same event against ahtletes from the T64 category (below-knee amputees): “My goal is always to improve. This year the main focus is on the top step of the podium [at Paris 2024], obviously, because it’s the only goal. I would also really like to lower my personal best (setting another world record) and make it closer to the T64 time.”
Ambra Sabatini in a recent picture.
The power of inspiration
“Through school, I learned about Bebe Vio’s story, and once I saw Martina Caironi’s race on TV - Sabatini continued - So, immediately after the accident, when I woke up in the hospital, I knew that I had the possibility to return to running or to do something else. I never had any doubts about wanting to do it again.”
Soon, the Paralympic champion realised that her own story could also become a source of inspiration: “It was one of the things that gave me courage because I knew that if I managed to handle this difficult situation well, maybe I could help other people who didn't have the same drive in facing the accident and recovery.”
Once a 'shy' girl, Ambra admitted that social network can also play an important tole, like when - just two months after the accident - she posted a photo of herself in a swimsuit, without the prosthesis: “I did it so that many people wouldn’t feel obligated to hide their bodies.”
The Italian has continued to inspire more people on and off the track, leading a young generation of Para athletes who have become aware of being part of a more inclusive society: “I'm glad that steps have been taken. Everyone is different and I think this is an asset. We can all learn from each other by sharing the different situations we each experience.”
Make the best out of every situation to come out better and help others
Acceptance of what is happening is one of the key steps that must be addressed to overcome insecurities that could undermine the path to recovery. Sabatini, once again, went further and thought about how her story could help others.
“It was one of the points that gave me courage because I knew that if I could deal well with this difficult situation, maybe I could help other people who did not have the same momentum as I did in dealing with the accident and recovery.”
Working on herself, to help others: “My life in that respect changed so much, I was a shy girl and I still am today, however, I opened up very quickly.”
In this process, social networks also played an important role: “I was never social. In fact, I didn't have Instagram at all! One of the first things I did when I came home was to post a picture, a month after the accident. Two months after that day, I put up a picture in a swimsuit, without implants.”
Even at this juncture, the goal was clear, right from the start: “I did it so that so many people don't feel like they have to hide their bodies.”