[1] Attempts were made to fit Simona with prosthetic arms at an early age, but she very quickly rejected them.
A defining moment in her early career was an audience with Pope John Paul II, at which she presented him with a portrait of himself.
Despite some initial opposition from teachers who felt that it was not appropriate, her own determination and the strong support of her mother enabled her to succeed in a discipline typically associated with the non-disabled.
Later Simona became associated with the Pescara Dance Festival, and has endowed this event with the Atzori Award, given to dancers and choreographers.
On 10 March 2006 Simona performed a dance routine during the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games in Turin.