Ridgewood Native Monica Bascio Named Paralympic SportsWoman of the Year

After two second place performances at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Monica Bascio went undefeated in 2013.

Ridgewood Native Monica Bascio  Named Paralympic SportsWoman of the Year
By Doug Williams | Oct. 24, 2013, 12:30 p.m. (ET)

After earning a pair of silver medals at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Monica Bascio wasn’t quite sure how her 2013 would unfold.

Bascio had goals, of course, and they were lofty.

The 44-year-old handcycling standout — who earned silvers in the individual time trial and road race in London — wanted to be the best on the world cup circuit and in the world championships this year.

But an extended winter in Colorado, where she lives, cut back on some training and early-season races, and she wasn’t quite sure where she stood.

“And you don’t want to be unsure,” said Bascio, a three-time Paralympian in cycling (2012) and Nordic skiing (2006, 2010). “If anything, my experience has taught me that confidence can get you lots of places, and I like to feel that. I know what that feels like, so I’d say I wasn’t sure in May. But after going into the world cups, it certainly proved that I was ready to handle it, (I was) on top and in great shape, actually the [best] shape of my life.”

Bascio won two gold medals at her first world cup event of the year in Spain in June, in the time trial and road race in her H3 category, then equaled that performance at her next world cup in Italy, giving her a huge dose of confidence heading into the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships.

https://www.teamusa.org/US-Paralympics/Features/2013/October/24/Paralympic-SportsWoman-of-the-Year-Monica-Bascio