[5] Maria Scutti was born in August 1928 in Altino, in the province of Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy.

Married and mother of two children, in 1957, at the age of 29, she lost the use of her legs following a road accident while driving a motorcycle-van.

During her rehabilitation after hospitalization at the center for paraplegics in Ostia, she discovered a passion for sports and in 1958 began to compete in many disciplines.

She entered eleven throwing events in athletics, winning nine of them and coming third in the remaining two.

[2] Scutti also won silver medals in both wheelchair fencing and table tennis.