Annalisa Minetti
Annalisa Minetti (born 27 December 1976 in Rho, Italy) is an Italian singer, actress, Paralympic athlete, and politician. She first gained attention in Miss Italia 1997 as the first blind contestant, finishing seventh and winning the Miss Gambissime award (Miss Super Legs).
She started singing in piano bars at age 15, covering artists like Prince, Ray Charles, Celine Dion and Aretha Franklin. In 1998 she won the Sanremo Music Festival with the song Senza te o con te.
As a para-athlete, Minetti competes in the T11/T12 category. She took part in the 2012 London Paralympics in the 1500 metres, finishing third and setting a world record for her classification. She also earned medals at IPC events: the 2013 World Championships in Lyon (800m, T11) and the 2012 European Championships in Stadskanaal (1500m, T12).
She has been part of sports groups such as Fiamme Azzurre and Fiamme Oro. In 2013 she ran in the Italian elections with Mario Monti’s movement.
Personal life: Minetti has been married twice—Gennaro Esposito (2002–2013) and Michele Panzarino (from 2016)—and has two children, Fabio and Elèna. She is about 180 cm tall, with green eyes and blonde hair. Her official website is annalisaminetti.com.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 18:10 (CET).