Laura Bonelli

Laura Bonelli will carry the Olympic torch. This is her story:

As a little girl, Laura dreamed of dancing and many other things. Her older brother was also very much into sports, from roller skating and tennis to football and table tennis, until a fateful accident left him paraplegic. They discovered a new world in which sport gained a whole new dimension as the key to equal opportunities, performance and the fight to master one's own body again.

From an early age, Laura has been part of the Paralympic scene alongside her brother, who started in wheelchair tennis and table tennis, handcycling and para-skiing. It gave her brother a new lease on life. Laura helped to forge ties between the non-disabled athletes she represented and the disabled athletes she adored.

Now, Laura rubs shoulders with top-flight athletes such as Astrid Guyard, Michaël Jérémiasz, whom she befriended, and Stéphane Diagana, whom he met at a professional event. These people continue to inspire her to proudly hold the Olympic torch aloft and represent the new Olympic and Paralympic generation in the name of sport and the values that bring us together.