“In this world, I’m learning to be proud of myself and to support other people who still don’t believe in themselves.”
For most athletes, winning is everything. But for Elisa Parutto, her greatest pride lies in just competing. Elisa finds that through competition, she proves that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are a force to be reckoned with, challenging outdated beliefs (or challenging those people that think otherwise).
Elisa is an Italian figure skater and dancer who competed in Turin in DanceSport. While she performed on stage at Palazzo delle Feste, she also found herself on stage in a vastly different role at the beginning of Games.
Elisa had the honor of representing Italy, the host country, by carrying the torch and lighting the Flame of Hope at the Opening Ceremony in Inalpi Arena, signifying the official start of the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025. This was a remarkable experience for Elisa, especially for someone who at an early age was expected not to talk, walk, or have any normalcy in her life.
When she was only an infant, Elisa’s doctors found that she had a duplication in her 12th chromosome which made it difficult for her to walk, talk, eat, and learn. This diagnosis led her parents to seek help for their daughter in whatever ways they could.
After she was denied physical therapy due to other people having a higher likelihood of success, Elisa’s parents sought guidance from a specialist who was able to help her walk for the first time. Another doctor aided her journey as he found that cutting gluten and casein from her diet would help her eat more and improve her diet. They were right!
From there, the ball kept rolling. In school, she worked on her reading and writing while discovering social skills through class experiences. Elisa struggled to write, but through continuous practice, mastered that as well.
Along with all of this, Elisa joined an artistic skating team that also helped her build stronger physical and mental skills. The more she skated, the better her health became as she and her parents watched her grow stronger and stronger.
This strength helped her when she became an adult as she discovered her confidence and love for dancing. Her passion and hard work in dancing took her all the way to Turin where she performed on a global stage against dancers of all dance styles.
As part of all competition with Special Olympics, athletes go through Divisioning – a system that ensures athletes compete with other athletes of similar ability levels in equitable divisions.
This practice marks one of the fundamental differences between Special Olympics competitions and those of most other sports organizations.
After competing in DanceSport Divisioning, Performing Arts Solo on 11 March, Elisa was selected to the top level: Performing Arts Solo F01. On 13 March, she competed in the F01 Division Solo Final where she danced a contemporary styled academy dance routine and finished in fourth place. Her competitors danced street, standard, and academy routines, in classic or standard style.
Speaking about her experience leading up to Games, Elisa shared, “The main barrier I have overcome is the external prejudice about my ability to dance and skate. This prejudice started to slow down my desire to succeed. Luckily, I found people who believed in me and gave me the chance to try and, therefore, succeed, with the right strategies.
"For me, the world of Special Olympics proves that all people with intellectual disabilities belong in society. In this world, I am learning to be proud of myself and to support other people who still don’t believe in themselves."
Elisa left Turin with pride in her performance, herself, and with her fellow athletes. Each of them helping to transform the world, making it more inclusive, one athlete at a time.
