Beatrice Vio, the quadruple amputee Italian fencer who enchanted the Cannes red carpet

Fencing star Beatrice Vio, also known as ‘Bebe Vio’, looked gorgeous on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet this Friday, May 17. The 27-year-old athlete came to attend the show Types of Kindness By Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos in official competition. With her platinum blonde hair in a pixie cut and a long metallic dress, she caused a sensation in the sun on the Croisette, posing for photographers alongside movie stars such as Eva Longoria, Kristen Dunst and Demi Moore. A quadriplegic amputated by meningitis, his story was told on screen in a critically acclaimed Netflix documentary titled: Like phoenixes, the Paralympic spirit (2020).

Devastating meningitis

Beatrice Vio grew up in Venice in the late 1990s, passionate about fencing since the age of 5, she received her first prize at the age of 11 when she finished 5th in a world competition. Promised a great future, his health deteriorated in 2008, suffering from devastating meningitis accompanied by necrosis. He initially fell into a coma before having to have all four of his limbs amputated to survive – both his forearms and both legs; then still a small child. “A part of my body was trying to kill me. It was like a match, I had to fight the disease,” he explained Like phoenixes. My parents were so scared that I made the decision for them. If there is a 1% chance that I will survive, let’s amputate the legs.”

Despite the predictions, Beatrice Vio survives. And fights fiercely. The young woman continues her recovery by spending time in the operating room trying to erase the necrotic scars on her body. A year later, she became the first woman to use a unique prosthesis, allowing her to keep her foil, a thrusting weapon, to resume her sport of fencing on the Paralympic field. In total, four prostheses of the new generation were given to him by his father, who made them for him in Bologna, Italy, with the help of other specialists.

Barbie Vio

At the age of 27, Bebe Vio is now a 5-time European Champion, 4-time World Champion and two-time Paralympic Fencing Champion in Rio and Tokyo. He has 1.3 million followers on his Instagram account, which is a huge number for an athlete in this industry. Beyond her titles, the young woman has become an example of strength and courage and an inspiration to many people with disabilities. He also founded the Art4Sport association, whose mission is to support young athletes with disabilities, particularly by financing prosthetics. Her career, fame and the image she conveys are now highly valued by luxury brands who see her as an icon of a generation. In 2022, she became the spokesperson for L’Oréal Paris. In 2023, she was also one of the faces of Dior’s Lady 95.22 handbag campaign. Anointed or not, Mattel even created a Barbie in her likeness.