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For Paralympic sprinter Alessandro Ossola, Sunday was a day to remember—not because of his race, but because of the love that followed. Though the Italian failed to qualify for the final of the T63 100 meters at the Paris Paralympics, Ossola still came away victorious, securing a "yes" from his ecstatic girlfriend after proposing to her in the stands.
Ossola, who lost most of his left leg in a 2015 motorcycle accident, made a heartwarming gesture at the Stade de France, kneeling before his shocked partner, Arianna, in front of a cheering crowd of 40,000 people. "You're crazy!" Arianna exclaimed, but her smile said it all as she accepted the proposal.
Reflecting on his relationship, Ossola told the official Olympic website, "Sometimes, she believed in me more than I believed in myself. That's something truly amazing. 'You can do it, you can succeed, you can,' she would say. This is something everyone needs, and I hope that everyone finds someone like her."
Ossola's journey to the Paralympics has been a testament to resilience. After losing his leg in the tragic accident that also claimed the life of his first wife, he turned to sports as a way to heal and rebuild his life. Now, at 36 years old, competing at the highest level, he credits both sport and his loved ones for his perseverance.
While Ossola hinted that this may be his final Paralympics, he expressed contentment with his accomplishments. "With what I've achieved at the Paris Paralympics, I feel like I've closed that circle," he said. "Now, I'm ready to start along a new path because my life isn't over, and I have many things left to do."
Ossola's proposal was part of a heartwarming trend at the Paris Games, which has seen several athletes propose to their significant others, adding a touch of romance to the world's biggest sporting stage.
