The Arona section chaired by Cosimo La Mura organises activities with differently abled people. ‘There are a multiplicity of mind-body benefits’, says delegate Carla Casero
Lega Navale Italiana’s history stretches back 128 years. It was set up with social promotion aims in 1897 and now has 254 sections nationally, in sea and lake locations and inland. There are six bases in Piedmont: Turin, Vercelli, Biella, Alessandria, Meina and Arona, all of which are managed by regional delegate Carla Casero. We spoke to the latter about the lively Arona section chaired by Cosimo La Mura, which will be celebrating its first 50 years in 2026.
Caring about others
‘Solidarity and inclusion are very important to us’, says Casero. ‘We do a range of work with schools, including an introduction to sailing with classroom lessons and trips out on the lake and we also work with various differently abled people. Specifically, we have three Hansa 303 boats which enable those with physical or mental disabilities to try out sailing in total safety, as these boats do not capsize.’ Trips out can be done with instructors and differently abled men and women can also sail on their own, if their disabilities are physical. ‘Arona has a mixed husband and wife team. She has multiple sclerosis’, says the regional delegate for Piedmont.
We organised two projects in conjunction with Minister for Disabilities, Alessandra Locatelli, this year: one was in Arona for children with autism and the other was in Palermo for people with rare bone diseases. ‘We noticed lots of benefits for participants’ minds and bodies. Sailing is truly an inclusive sport’, concludes Casero.
