Valerio Catoia awarded the Bronze Medal for Civil Valour

On 18 December 2024, during celebrations for the 92nd anniversary of the city of Latina, Valerio Catoia, General Affairs Specialist at Cogeninfra and registered in the protected categories (Law 68/99), received an important award: the Bronze Medal for Civil Valour.

The honour, conferred by decree of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, was presented to him by the Prefect of Latina, Vittoria Ciaramella.

The events date back to 2017, when Valerio, then 17 years old, already a competitive Paralympic swimmer and now an athlete with the Fiamme Oro sports group in Sabaudia in the “Paracanoa” Kayak k1 discipline, was on Bufalara beach in Sabaudia when he noticed a child in difficulty in the water offshore. Without hesitation, he dived in and managed to save her from drowning, showing great courage and quick thinking.

For this heroic gesture, President Sergio Mattarella awarded him the title of Alfiere della Repubblica (Standard Bearer of the Republic) for his civic commitment, and he was also awarded the title of “Honorary Policeman” for demonstrating great strength, courage and generosity.

In addition, Valerio is the national spokesperson for the Postal Police in their awareness campaign against hate on social media, for which he has taken the documentary film “Haters e Piccoli Eroi” (Haters and Little Heroes), in which he stars, to schools of all levels.

Valerio is an extraordinary example of altruism and civic virtue. Everyone at Cogeninfra is proud to have him as a colleague and thanks him for his valuable contribution.