From abandonment to the Paralympics: Dongdong's story, between second chances and the dream of Los Angeles

From China to Italy with cancer: a phone call changed his life because a family gave him a home and sport taught him to find his own path. Camanni, 22, is now an athlete with the Fiamme Gialle, grew up in Umbria, studies in Bologna and is a judo world silver medallist. After Paris 2024, his next goal is the Games in California

Abandoned at birth in China, brought to Italy when he was just over a year old, a survivor of bilateral retinoblastoma and raised in a family that made welcoming others a way of life. Then came swimming, scouting, music and finally judo, all the way to the national team and the Paris Paralympic Games. Today Dongdong Camanni, known simply as Paolo to some friends, is 22, studies Electronic and Telecommunications Engineering in Bologna, competes for the Fiamme Gialle sports group and has his sights set on Los Angeles 2028. His story is about sport, but above all about independence and second chances.

Dongdong, your Italian story began with a phone call.

Yes, and it was the most important phone call of my life. I was abandoned by my biological parents in a Chinese orphanage run by underground Catholic nuns. I was fortunate to meet some key people, including Dr Pierluigi Cecchi of Médecins Sans Frontières and journalist Luca Vinciguerra with his wife Marianna. Thanks to them, it was possible to deal with all the bureaucracy and find an Italian family willing to adopt me. My parents, Guido and Francesca, said yes without ever having seen or met me. My life began with that yes.

What did you find when you arrived in Italy?

First of all, a family. My parents had opened a kind of family home in Bevagna, Umbria, but to me it has always simply been a family that chose to grow and welcome people in difficulty. I have five siblings, all adopted as well. And in Italy I also found the care I needed.

You had bilateral retinoblastoma.

I was probably abandoned partly because of my illness. When I arrived in Italy I was diagnosed with advanced bilateral retinoblastoma. I was given around a 10% chance of survival. I spent more than three years in hospital undergoing chemotherapy, radiotherapy and repeated admissions. I was fortunate to encounter an extraordinary team within the public healthcare system and a family that never stopped believing.

And when did sport enter your life?

First swimming, which I practised for five years. Then the pool closed for renovation and, because I had so much energy, my parents suggested that I try judo. I did not even know what it was. I fell in love with it immediately. At the same time there was music and scouting. I have played the piano since I was four, while scouting taught me a great deal about responsibility and about the fact that you are not always the centre of attention.

When did judo become a competitive choice for you?

Gradually. I had to choose whether to keep practising it recreationally or pursue a competitive path, and I chose the latter. In 2021 I won an Italian championship competing against non-disabled athletes. That became the springboard into the senior national team circuit. From 2022 onward, the journey that took me to Paris began.

What do you remember about those Games?

Paradoxically, very little. I was 19, extremely emotional, and everything felt beyond anything I could have imagined. I came into Paris after twelve competitions, with eleven finals and nine medals, but I finished seventh there. In my first bout I conceded a score after just one second, before I had mentally entered the match. In judo, one small lapse in concentration can change everything. Looking back, that experience mainly left me wanting a second chance, this time with greater awareness.

In the meantime, you also chose to live on your own. Why was that important?

Because independence is as much a part of my journey as sport. After finishing high school in Foligno, I moved to Bologna to study Electronic and Telecommunications Engineering and I live with other students. I train between Bologna, Rome and Naples. This too is part of growing up: learning to manage your own life, your responsibilities and your choices.

What would you say to a young person with a disability who is trying to find their own path?

Try. And do not be afraid of making mistakes. Difficulties and setbacks have helped me understand myself, see where I could improve and learn how to face complicated moments. It is hard for families not to be overprotective, but it is important to give their children room to have experiences and also to make mistakes. That is the only way to find your own path and discover what you believe in.

And today your path leads towards Los Angeles.

Yes. The goal is to qualify for the 2028 Games. I am currently second in the world rankings and world silver medallist. I want to arrive in Los Angeles with more experience and, if I make it to a second Paralympics, to experience it with greater awareness. And of course, to chase the dream of a medal.