Cougar Track Athlete Has Two Passions in Life

Amy Currotto just is not a big sports person.

Well, that is, not until the Countryside senior met Savannah Stona.

Stona, an athlete on the Countryside girls volleyball team, also happened to have the same gym class as Currotto.

"I don’t think I’ve ever even been to a sports game,” Currotto said. “(Savannah) told me that there were scholarships available in adaptive sports and that’s what I needed."

Now, Currotto will compete in the 2011 FHSAA track and field state finals Saturday (May 7). She is entered in the 800m, the 200m, and throws shot.

Currotto practices every day after school with the regional champion Cougar track team and does a lot of the same workouts they do. She grunts and sweats just the same way and competes alongside them. She times out pretty close to them too.

“I’m a really intense person. Once I start something, I follow through with it,” she said.

In the 800m, Currotto pushes a wheel chair carrying her full weight on it, two laps around the track in just more than three minutes.

Sure it’s impressive that she blasts out the 200m in 47.25 seconds. And that she can throw a shot put 11 feet 7 inches, sitting down. But the endurance it takes to complete an 800m race with just upper body strength is incredible.

Chalk it up to her indomitable spirit.

However, Currotto's true passion in life is opera.

Currotto is a big fan of Josh Groban. And as a kid she found out that Groban took opera classes - that was it.

“I’ve been in love with it since I was a little kid," Currotto said. “My dream is to perform in a full-scale opera production.”

Currotto is touring and learning and might one day get that chance.

She sang with The Gulf Coast Youth Choir as a youth and is currently a member of the Countryside High School Choir. She also trains at The Hoffman Institute at Ruth Eckerd Hall under Constantine Grame.

And you can bet all her efforts will be directed at making it.