Angelo` Mongiovi Former American wheelchair athlete in track and field, basketball and rugby Date of Birth: 29.06.1952 Country: USA

1. Biography of Angelo Mongiovi
2. School Years
3. College and Career
4. Personal Life
5. Introduction to Wheelchair Sports
6. Achievements

Biography of Angelo Mongiovi

Angelo Mongiovi, a former American wheelchair athlete, was involved in track and field, basketball, and rugby. He was born on June 29, 1952, in Newark, New Jersey, and was the oldest of six children in his family. From a young age, Angelo was drawn to sports and often played ball and soccer with neighborhood kids. However, at the age of two, he contracted polio, just months before Jonas Salk introduced his vaccine for the disease. Within weeks, the virus left him unable to walk and use his left hand.

School Years

Angelo's school years began at Branch Brook School for physically and mentally challenged children, where he studied until the sixth grade. After his family moved to Clark, New Jersey, he attended a regular school with typical children. The transition was both an adventure and a challenge for Angelo as he struggled to adapt to a completely different environment. He also realized that his previous school had been lenient when it came to academic achievements, so he had to catch up on a lot of missed learning. In his new school, Angelo joined the school baseball team and tried basketball for the first time, shooting the ball into the hoop with his crutch under his arm. After the eighth grade, he transferred to David Brearley Regional High School, which was specially designed to accommodate children with limited physical abilities, although healthy children also attended. Angelo excelled academically, surpassing his peers in mathematics while continuing to play baseball.

College and Career

After high school, Angelo attended the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), graduating in 1974 with a bachelor's degree in computer science. He then found employment at AT&T and later at Computer Sciences Corporation, where he continues to work today.

Personal Life

In 1977, Angelo married his first wife, Susan McDonald, with whom he had a son and a daughter. In 1998, he married for the second time to Fiona De Louw, who also gave birth to a son and a daughter.

Introduction to Wheelchair Sports

Angelo's introduction to wheelchair sports occurred in 1973 while he was working on a college project and having a snack at the local cafeteria. Jimmy Marzanno, a student without both legs, approached him upon learning that Angelo had never been involved in wheelchair sports. Jimmy invited him to a basketball practice at Montclair State University. On October 5, 1973, Angelo and his friend Thomas McDonald, who was also disabled, immersed themselves in the world of wheelchair sports. Impressed by what they saw, they borrowed a wheelchair from a friend, started attending training sessions, and quickly found their passion for wheelchair sports. Angelo excelled in rugby, basketball, and track, while Thomas showed talent in weightlifting.

Achievements

Despite having limited experience in maneuvering a wheelchair, it quickly became evident that Angelo had a natural talent for wheelchair sports. In 1989, he was chosen to represent the United States at the Stoke Mandeville Games, an international wheelchair sports competition. The American team finished in second place behind Canada. Angelo continued to compete both domestically and internationally and retired from competitive wheelchair sports in 2000.