CIP-USSI award, Fulvio Morella's art for Paralympic journalism

An award for those who tell the story of Paralympic sports with passion and sensitivity, giving voice to the athletes’ feats and their courage. On February 26, at the Foro Italico in Rome, the CIP-USSI Prize, established by the Italian Paralympic Committee (CIP) and the Italian Sports Press Union (USSI), was awarded for the first time. An event that highlights the value of sports storytelling and its impact on the perception of disability in the competitive and social context. The Award not only celebrates journalists, photographers and communicators who have contributed to spreading Paralympic culture, but becomes an invitation to continue the mission of making visible the athletes’ stories of resilience and determination. Each winner is presented with the Raccontami medal, inspired by the work of the same name by artist Fulvio Morella and created in collaboration with the nonprofit Cramum. A symbol that extols the power of storytelling in transforming sports feats into collective memory.

Here are the winners: the Special Prize was awarded to RAI, which for the first time, during the Paris 2024 Paralympics, brought the Paralympic network to life. Lifetime Achievement Awards were also given to journalists who have dedicated a significant part of their careers to Paralympic sports: Lorenzo Roata (Raisport), Claudio Arrigoni (Corriere della Sera/Gazzetta dello Sport), Sandro Fioravanti (Rai) and Giovanni Bruno (Sky). Here, however, are the other awardees: Claudio Lenzi (Gazzetta dello Sport) and Paolo De Laurentiis (Corriere dello Sport) for “Cronaca Sportiva,” Maria Luisa Colledani (Il Sole 24 Ore) for “Investigations,” Mario Nicoliello (Avvenire and Il Messaggero) in the “Stories” section, Mattia Chiusano (Repubblica) for the “Interviews” section, and Dario Marchetti (ANSA) for “Chronicle and Technical.” Awards as ’correspondents’ also went to Mirko Gabriele Narducci (Dire) and Sonia Arpaia (Italpress). The “Photography” award was given to Mauro Ujetto while that for “Social” to Nadia Lauricella. The “Communication Project” award was given to ALLIANZ S.p.a. Rai, for its efforts during the Paris Paralympic Games, also received awards for the “Sports Editorial” (Raisport) and “TG” (Rainews) sections. Roberto Pacchetti (TGR) won the “Communicating Sport in the Territory” award while Giacomo Prioreschi (Radio Rai 1) won that for “Radio and Multimedia Communication.”

The meaning of “Tell Me.”

Morella’s work is rooted in both classical tradition and modernity, reinterpreting the famous incipit of theOdyssey - “Tell me, O Muse, of Man” - through starry braille, an innovative form of writing devised by the artist in 2022. This particular visual and tactile language makes it possible to combine art and accessibility, making the narrative inclusive and multisensory.

As highlighted by Sabino Maria Frassà, Cramum’s Creative Director, Morella’s work emphasizes the fundamental role of storytelling: “Every hero, in order to exist and turn into myth and legend, needs a narrative: without it, the feat remains in the shadows, silent and unfinished. With Raccontami, Morella succeeds in an unprecedented and inclusive way in bringing together the spirit of the heroic feat with the empathy that comes from telling and listening to the exploits of others.”

The artist was chosen by the promoters of the Prize for his ongoing commitment to researching multisensoriality and the use of braille to make art accessible to all. His work is already in prestigious international collections, including those of the Italian Mint, the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, the Monnaie, and UNESCO in Paris. In 2023, Morella received the Alfredo D’Andrade Lifetime Achievement Award and selection as the protagonist of the cycle of exhibitions I LIMITS DO NOT EXIST, which will take place in the Paralympic venues of Milan-Cortina 2026.

“Fulvio Morella’s art,” explains Sabino Maria Frassà, "is based on the awareness that every hero needs a narrative to turn into myth: without it, the feat risks remaining in the shadows. Therefore, the artist pays tribute to the role of journalists, modern aedi and keepers of the memory of Paralympic athletes, narrating their spirit of resilience and passing on their value. In this work, the artist gives form to the Homeric maxim Tell me, O Muse, of Man through words written in starry braille in one of his famous night skies. The choice of the verb raccontare, taken from the translation proposed in 1963 by Rosa Calzecchi Onesti, is not accidental: it emphasizes the value of storytelling in all its forms, both as a stimulus for improvement in the present and as an authentic bridge to eternity. In line with his poetics, which interweaves word and image, Morella omits from his starry sky the Homeric epithet ’from multifaceted ingenuity,’ making a conceptual choice of great significance: the hero is not defined by cunning, but by the conscious choice to toil to become heroic. Fulvio Morella does not uncritically extol the Ulysses who relies on deception, but celebrates the true heroic value: the one who faces his fate with courage and integrity. Paralympic athletes embody this vision in the eyes and hands of the artist: true travelers of the impossible, capable of rewriting the very narrative of the possible. Not surprisingly, it is Morella himself who reminds us that ’Limits do not exist,’ echoing Dante’s message: ’You were not made to live like brutes, but to follow virtue and knowledge.’"

The CIP-USSI Prize: a tribute to sports storytelling.

The CIP-USSI Prize was created with the intention of enhancing the role of sports journalists who, with professionalism and sensitivity, tell the story of Paralympic sports by going beyond the simple competitive result. The goal is to highlight the human and social value of competitions, helping to change the perception of disability in sports and society.

As stressed by CIP President Luca Pancalli, “The world of journalism and communication has made a fundamental contribution to the growth of the Paralympic movement. This Award celebrates the work of those who, with passion and dedication, have turned the spotlight on our movement, bringing to the attention of public opinion not only the sporting and personal stories of great champions, but also the value of sport as a tool of well-being and inclusion, capable of contributing to the cultural, social and civil growth of the country.”

Gianfranco Coppola, USSI President, points out, “Sports storytelling sees journalists as witnesses and narrators of stories, places and traditions, especially emotions. Attention to the Paralympics has found in professional reporters pioneers rewarded for sensitivity, beyond ratings and popularity. Today their heirs ensure that the stories of sports giants have equal dignity. Rigor in competitive reporting, combined with great sensitivity and an increasingly conscious cultural approach, makes sports journalism even more sensitive, exciting and engaging.”

“Tell Me the Return”: the cycle of works on the concept of heroism.

From the work Raccontami comes an entire artistic reflection on the theme of return and heroism in contemporary society. The cycle of starry braille textile works Raccontami il ritorno unfolds in four starry skies, each dedicated to an aspect of return as the foundational experience of the heroic journey. In particular, the work The Day of Return is inspired by the Homeric formula νόστιμον ἦμαρ (“The Day of Return”), focusing on the moment when the hero, after facing challenges and dangers, longs to find his home and place in the world.

Completing the cycle, the plays Ulysses and Penelope explore the deeper meaning of heroism: Ulysses embodies the one who defies limits, not only in action, but in the risk of transformation. His courage lies not only in his departure, but above all in his willingness to return, accepting the change that the journey has imposed. His figure is charged with universal value, becoming a symbol of those who, through experience, evolve and reconcile with themselves.

The words of the protagonist of theOdyssey, transformed into stars in the play Ulysses, powerfully express this concept: “Nothing is sweeter than family for those who are in a foreign land, even if they are in a rich and beautiful home.”

“Fulvio Morella’s reflection,” Frassà concludes, "is completed and finds its climax with the work Penelope, perhaps the most significant and conceptual work in this cycle, dedicated to the final meeting between Ulysses and his wife, who for years has been waiting for his return. The artist thus chooses to immortalize her stars in an oval shape, evocative of the human face, giving substance to one of the most emblematic phrases of the Homeric poem: ’To Penelope’s knees and heart melted in recognizing the sure signs that Odysseus revealed to her.’ Through this choice, the oval becomes a symbol of recognition and intimacy, recalling the universal value of signs as traces of memory and identity. Not only that: by reinterpreting Paralympic values, the artist redefines the concept of heroism, recognizing it not only in those who perform extraordinary deeds, but also in those who accompany them, those who accept the risk of change with the awareness that the return is not a mere restoration of the past, but an opportunity for rebirth and collective transformation. Heroism, then, does not belong exclusively to those who act, but also exists because of those who share the burden of the undertaking, facing its consequences with courage and dedication. This awareness - intertwined with acceptance and gratitude - enables the understanding that each undertaking nourishes the next, preparing for a new departure. Thus, in his art as in the Homeric epic, the return becomes for Fulvio Morella the essential metaphor of existence itself: a journey of falls and rises that nourishes a continuous tension toward the search for a better future, in which meaning is fulfilled in sharing, telling and empathizing with loved ones."

An award that is also an invitation to storytelling

The CIP-USSI Award is not only a recognition, but an exhortation to continue to narrate Paralympic sport with the attention and passion it deserves. The Raccontami medal, inspired by the work of Fulvio Morella, becomes a symbol of this collective commitment to giving voice to those who, every day, redefine the very concept of possibility.

The awarding of the Prize on February 26 thus marks the beginning of a journey that does not end with a celebration, but is renewed in the daily mission of all those who, through words, images and stories, continue to illuminate the achievements of Paralympic athletes.

CIP-USSI award, Fulvio Morella's art for Paralympic journalism

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.