Oscar De Pellegrin

His disability is due to a tractor accident at the family farm. He began in sport in 1990 due to a friend. He has been one of the main athletes of the "Nazionale Sport Disabili" (Disabled Italian National Team) for archery, and shooting. In the two sports he achieved 70 Italian titles, 11 Italian records and 4 world records.

In 2000, after winning the Team Gold Medal at the Olympics, he's been decorated with the title of commendatore of the Italian Republic, while the Italian National Olympic Committee gave him their highest honorary medal, the "collare d'oro" (literally, the golden collar).

On the occasion of the journey of the Olympic Flame of Turin 2006, Oscar has been chosen as the last torch-bearer of Belluno's leg, and he lighted up the tripod in the city's main plaza. In 2012 he's been Italy's flag bearer at the Paralympic Games in London.[2]

Archery is the only sport where there are no distinctions between able-bodied and disabled athletes. Due to this peculiarity, in 1993 and 1994 Oscar became part of the Italian National Team. He represented Italy at the Paralympic Games in Barcelona (1992), Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000), Athens (2004), Beijing, (2008) and London (2012), for a total of 6 editions. In 2009 he won a Guinness World Record together with Marco Vitale and Alberto Simonelli, shooting light bulbs.

• Oscar De Pellegrin at the International Paralympic Committee (also here)