Italian/Senegalese Olympic shooter Chiara Costa (49) may have one of the most captivating backstories among the 16,000 participants expected at the Pan Pacific Masters Games, on the Gold Coast from November 1-10.
Born to an Italian mother and African father, Chiara holds dual citizenship in Italy and Senegal.
She teaches physical education and Italian language at the American Overseas School in Rome.
She also somehow finds time to work as a shooting sports journalist for the website all4shooters, and a volunteer ambulance driver and rescuer for the Red Cross.
But her path to get here hasn’t been an easy one.
“I was born premature at just seven months,” Chiara recalls. “My belly was cut open, and they had to perform emergency surgery with only a 20 percent chance of survival.
“Luckily, the surgery went well, but the doctors told my parents I would never be able to play sports,” she said.
Chiara wasn’t willing to accept that prognosis.
“I didn’t really agree with this, so when I was old enough, I started artistic gymnastics, initially only as rehabilitation.
“It allowed me to lead a normal life, even though I wasn’t as strong as the others.”
As time passed, Chiara’s love for gymnastics grew and after a few years of training and competing at an amateur level, she went to watch a circus show that would change her life.
“I fell in love with the trapeze,” Chiara said.
“I asked the team if I could try it, and after the initial terror of flying nine and a half metres in the air, I eventually went to Paris for a flying trapeze internship.
“I did this for six years until, unfortunately, I fell and became paralysed.”
Following another surgery, Chiara was able to walk again, but her days in gymnastics and trapeze were over and she began searching for another sport—one a little more grounded that wasn’t as physically demanding.
“That’s how I found shooting,” she said.
Chiara’s shooting odyssey began as a psychologist for the Italian junior shooting team.
“The kids told me that if I hadn’t tried their sport, I wouldn’t understand their problems, so I started shooting and quickly became passionate about it,” she said.
On the Gold Coast, Chiara will compete in Skeet, the same discipline in which she represented Senegal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
She’ll also add Trap and Universal to her competitive workload.
And in a nod to her past, she’ll participate in the All-Around gymnastics event, despite recently sustaining a sub-dislocation of her collarbone.
“Regardless, I’ll definitely do the beam, which has always been my favourite apparatus,” she said.
Chiara’s resilience and focus will no doubt serve her well as she tackles both sports.
“Tokyo was my first Olympics, and it was wonderful despite the lack of spectators due to the pandemic.
“When we entered the stadium, we were all so focused—10,300 athletes from 206 nations, completely immersed in our competitions and in getting to know one another; nothing else mattered.”
Like many athletes, Chiara faces significant financial challenges in pursuing her passion.
“Unfortunately, everything I do – training and competing – I pay for myself.
“No one helps me financially, so, this trip to Australia will be my only one this year, particularly considering how far away your continent is.”
Still, Chiara is eagerly anticipating the opportunity.
“I’ve never been to Australia before. It’s my first time, and I have sport to thank for it.
“I’m sure that without this competition, I wouldn’t have managed such a trip.
“Australia fascinates me, and I know I’ll discover a world completely different from mine,” she said.
You can follow Chiara’s journey on her YouTube channel: Chiara Costa
Her events at the shooting take place at the Gold Coast Clay Target Club as per the following schedule:
The gymnastics competition takes place at the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre on Sunday 10 November.
The Pan Pacific Masters Games will officially kick off from 1-10 November with an opening ceremony on Saturday 2 November at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre followed by entertainment from the Australian Rock Collective. For sports and entry details visit: mastersgames.com.au
The event is organised by Events Management Queensland and are proudly supported by Experience Gold Coast and the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland.
Events Management Queensland acknowledges and pays respect to the Kombumerri people of the Yugambeh language region, the Saltwater People of the Gold Coast, as the traditional owners of the lands and waters upon which we invite and welcome participants from across the globe to experience our events.
