The Drama Group of Monaco has been performing English-language plays and pantomimes since 1965. The first stage production, the comedy Love’s a Luxury, was put on in 1974 at the Salle des Variétés in Monaco and attended by Prince Rainier and Princess Grace.
WATCH VIDEO ABOVE: “‘Oh no they are not!’” says Drama Group of Monaco president Andrew Riley.
Over the next decade, the non-profit organisation performed in Monaco and on the Côte d’Azur but things really took off when in 1985 the Drama Group was offered “The Green Room’” at the Stade Louis II for rehearsals, workshops and Play-Readings.
“In the early days of the Drama Group of Monaco,” recalls the current President, Andrew Riley, “the monthly readings of plays in The Green Room were extremely popular with the local English speakers because there was no satellite TV!”
These days, with streaming services and social media, the Drama Group of Monaco continues its battle to keep performing art alive. Membership (with in-house auditions) is open to all enthusiastic English-speaking adult thespians, and, since 2019, youth from the age of 9. “Although it is an amateur theatre association, we pride ourselves on the teamwork, enthusiasm, and commitment of every performing member. Our only aim is to generate pleasure and emotion to our often very discerning public.”
“Our Youth Theatre weekend workshops and performances have helped to contribute to a wider theatrical experience for the local anglophone community,” says Andrew. “Traditionally we devote an afternoon performance of the Pantomime to various classes of pupils at Monaco schools, in close collaboration with the Education Nationale.”
Born in the UK, Andrew studied English and French literature – which included Drama – at university, and came to Nice as a student, eventually settling on the Côte d’Azur and becoming a Monaco resident. He started working for Barclays Private Bank Monaco in 1981 and retired nearly 40 years later in 2019.
“I started acting at school, which was an all-boys public school, so I played both male and female roles, something that I continue to do today in the Pantomimes!”
Andrew joined the Drama Group of Monaco in 1984. His first stage performance that year was a farce – as he says, “appropriately called” – A Bedfull of Foreigners. He’s had the “opportunity and privilege” to perform in some amazing theatrical roles including in Macbeth and Henry V, The Elephant Man, and Dangerous Liaisons.
“I’ve been passionate about amateur dramatics in English in Monaco ever since my first show, juggling professional and family commitments with my love of theatre. My first Pantomime was in 1996, I played Abanazar, the Baddie, in Aladdin.”
The Drama Group’s most popular tradition is, of course, the Christmas Pantomime, a highly anticipated outing for the whole family, from the age of 5. The larger-than-life characters delight the audience with their extravagance and often outrageous costumes.
“This very British custom is a light-hearted bundle of laughs, slapstick, and dance routines roughly based on the dramatization of a well-known fairy tale or folk tale. Traditionally, some of the key roles are played by a member of the opposite sex. The ‘Dame’ is often played by a man, and the ‘Principal Boy’ is played by a girl.
“There is much actor-audience interaction. The ‘Baddies’ are booed and the ‘Goodies’ are cheered on, and there is lots of ‘Oh yes they are!’ versus ‘Oh no they are not!’”
After nearly 30 years, the Drama Group of Monaco is bringing back Aladdin. Written by Ben Crocker, directed by Andrew Riley and Miranda Dawe, and choreographed by Celia Riley, the pantomime will be performed by 30 members, including 16 youth, on Thursday December 11 and Friday December 12 at the Salle des Variétés, starting at 8pm. “The text and the jokes of a Pantomime are continually evolving, so any returning audience is rarely disappointed,” says Andrew.
To get your tickets for Aladdin on Thursday December 11 and Friday December 12 (8pm) at the Salle des Variétés, go to the Drama Group of Monaco’s website.
Article first published November 20, 2025. All photos and videos copyright Good News Monaco.
A spectacular 10-room hôtel particulier in Paris that once belonged to Monaco’s princely family has been sold for a record amount by the Kretz family of Netflix fame.
“We sold it two years ago, and now again this year for €33,850,000,” Valentin Kretz tells me. “The buyer is an American crypto genius in his thirties.”
The 500-square-metre urban mansion next to Hermès on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in the 8th arrondissement features an unfathomable 450-square-metre garden with sauna.
“This is the largest transaction in Paris in several years,” Valentin says. “The 2024 record was €25 million and that was all agencies combined. This is also one of the Kretz Agency’s biggest sales, although we have also sold at these levels in St. Barts.”
The reality star adds, “This shows that the ultra-luxury sector has not suffered a crisis, quite the contrary. There is so little supply in ultra-luxury that properties are highly sought after.”
Valentin, along with his parents and brothers Martin, Louis and Raphael, star in Netflix’s The Parisian Agency (l’Agence) now filming its sixth season. A spin-off of the real estate show, New Destinations, has been commissioned by TMC.
Axel Sategna is a Monegasque entrepreneur launching Monaco’s first social network. It’s called Intouch, it’s free, and it’s going live November 18.
WATCH VIDEO ABOVE: Axel Sategna talks about Intouch app.
Available soon from the App Store and Google Play, Axel says Intouch offers a simple solution to a universal problem: knowing what to do, where, when, and with whom – in just a few clicks.
The idea came to him during a business trip to Montreal where he spent a week interviewing for jobs in finance. He realised how difficult it was to find the right places to go out, where to go for a walk, or just to connect with others in person over coffee.
WATCH VIDEO ABOVE: Axel Sategna on how Intouch works.
“None of the existing social platforms – Meetup, Eventbrite, Instagram, LinkedIn, or others – truly filled that gap”, explains the 30-year-old. “Intouch’s mission is to fight boredom, reduce isolation, and bring people closer together through a living map of activities spanning sports, entertainment, culture, and volunteering.”
The bilingual go-getter became driven by an ambition to truly transform the way we connect but, like many startups, faced financial hurdles. Outside of his full-time job at UBS Monaco, he spends his waking hours developing the first social network developed and launched from Monaco with support from Monaco Boost.
After graduating from the International University of Monaco with a Master’s degree in Finance with a Hedge Fund & Private Equity option, Axel built a foundation in private banking, asset management, audit, and the Constitutional Reserve Fund of Monaco – with experience in both Monaco and Luxembourg.
He hopes the Intouch app will expand to other territories after finding success in Monaco.
WATCH VIDEO BELOW: Axel Sategna talks about special filters and chat group on Intouch.
Article first published October 19, 2025. All videos and photos of Axel Sategna copyright Good News Monaco.
When I started Good News, Monaco in October 2020, we were in the midst of the Covid pandemic. We had come out of one lockdown and were about the enter another.
The idea to become part of the Good News movement came to me thanks to Annette Anderson. I had published an article for Forbes Monaco with the headline “Prince Charles gives Prince Albert Covid” (or a variation of that), which was loosely based on the fact that HSH had been in a meeting with HRH, who shortly after tested positive for the virus.
Annette called me out on the clickbait. And I realised that as a journalist I was playing into the media’s collective fearmongering, delivering alarming statistics instead of the human story behind them. I decided to create a non-commercial site that would promote community in Monaco and buying locally to create positive social media.
The idea was simple. The headline would either be a person’s name, or the business name. Nothing salacious or misleading, instead creating a genuine connection with a photo and story.
Rather ironic then that the Good News Monaco site launched on October, 2020, with “Body discovered in Larvotto.” But I swear that was a one off.
Over the past six years, it has been an absolute joy to share stories about Monaco’s budding community – Humans of Monaco, I ❤︎ Monaco, Good News Women and News, stories that go beyond translated government press releases.
I still believe in supporting women. I still believe in community. I still believe in buying local. But the time has come for Good News, Monaco to end, as I now turn my focus to developing Monaco Info in English.
It seemed appropriate to end my volunteer passion project with 30 Days of Good Deeds, Troy Armour’s initiative to spread kindness around the world.
It’s been quite the ride over the last six years, and your support has been invaluable. I invite you to follow me at @nancy.heslin and NancyHeslin.com for more Monaco stories you won’t find elsewhere.
The global movement comes from Monaco resident Troy Armour, who says the idea behind 30 Days of Good Deeds is a very simple. “Can we inspire people across the world to take 10 minutes out of their day across the month of June and do a good deed for somebody else? This is not about money, or doing something huge or fancy full. It’s about a simple little moment of just appreciating somebody else in your life.”
For example, it could be walking a neighbour’s dog, visiting an elderly person living alone, or making a cup of coffee for a loved one. “Just something that you have not done on a regular basis. You know, and imagine how that would make that person feel. Wake up in the morning, and it’s not about the coffee, it’s that you took 10 minutes of precious time to think about them.
“Recently I was coming out of a hotel and there were two old ladies coming in who were struggling with their bags. I stopped to give them a hand and both of them were very grateful. And it was just to carry their bags, like, for 50 meters. It’s as simple as that.”
The founder of Junk Kouture adds, “I want to make this viral challenge accessible to everybody. I want to see how far this can go. I know this isn’t about money. This is about taking the time to do a gesture.”
Troy is hoping to get a million good deeds done in this world. So from June 1 to 30, 2026, do-gooders will be posting on Instagram a video of their acts of kindness and then tagging three people to do a kind act within 24 hours. “The power of three is mighty. If you take one person and you can manage to treble that, so one person brings three and three brings nine, you can reach a million people after 10 days.
“How incredible it would be if we could reach a million people over the month of June, a million good deeds done? And forget about the million good deeds done, a million good deeds received. Imagine receiving those little moments, those little envelopes of love or care of just appreciation.
“Imagine people from all over the world taking part in something simple but powerful – spreading kindness. Who doesn’t want to wake up and see positive news in the morning?”
Sign up to 30 Days of Good Deeds as an individual, school or company. Donations to the Mo Chuisle Foundation are welcome but not necessary.
Post the good deed on Instagram with the hashtags #30daysofgooddeeds and #everyheartbeatingasone.
Collaborate with or tag 30daysofgooddeeds in your story so it can be shared with the world.
Then tag 3 friends and ask them to do a good deed within 24 hours.
“We know some of you will be shy and not want to post about a good deed you did, so maybe post about an act of kindness you have received in your life, and celebrate the person who did this for you.”
Mo Chuisle Foundation Mo Chuisle is an Irish expression that means every heart beats as one. All monies raised through 30 Days of Good Deeds donations will go to the Mo Chuisle Foundation, a Monaco-registered not-for-profit association that will support three causes: Cancer Care, Creative Education and Ending Period Poverty.
This Saturday, May 2, at 7 pm, London’s Chamber Choir of St. Martin-in-the-Fields will perform Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem and Michael Higgin’s The Cloths of Heaven at St. Paul’s Anglican Church.
A skilled ensemble of around 30 singers, the Choir is known for its versatility and clarity of sound. Their recent performances have ranged from major choral works by Johannes Brahms and Sergei Rachmaninoff to contemporary premieres, reflecting a breadth of musical engagement grounded in careful preparation.
The one-hour performance will be directed by Olivia Tait, assistant director of music at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, whose work spans beyond concert direction to recordings and collaborations with leading ensembles. She is joined by organist Jonathan Dods, who contributes to the musical cohesion of the programme as accompanist and director.
Michael Higgin’s The Cloths of Heaven, inspired by W. B. Yeats, will add for the audience an intimate, poetic warmth to Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem’s soft, luminous calm.
“We are really privileged in having such wonderful musicians with us this weekend and to experience the beauty of Fauré that the world so desperately needs,” says Father Hugh Bearn, who has been serving St. Paul’s Anglican Church Monte-Carlo since April 2023.
The free event at 22 avenue de Grande Bretagne is open to all, with no tickets required. A retiring collection will be taken in support of the ongoing work of St Paul’s Anglican Church.
The first official event of a year-long celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Wedding of Princess Grace and HSH Prince Rainier III was hosted at the Princess Grace Irish Library on April 2, 2026.
The talk was led by Wolfgang Frei, the nephew of Edward Quinn, the Irish photographer who photographed the very first meeting of the Prince and American actress in 1955.
Frei, curator of the Edward Quinn photographic archives, offered a vivid portrait of Quinn (1920–1997), whose lens defined the glamour of the Côte d’Azur during the “Golden Fifties.” Born in Ireland and later based in London before settling on the Riviera, Quinn became one of the most trusted photographers of an international elite that included artists, film stars, and royalty.
Central to Frei’s lecture was Quinn’s unique relationship with Princess Grace and Prince Rainier. Quinn’s discretion and professionalism earned him rare proximity to the royal couple, allowing him to document both official engagements and intimate, historic moments. Most notably, Frei highlighted Quinn’s photographs of the couple’s first meeting in 1955—an encounter arranged during the Cannes Film Festival while Kelly was promoting To Catch a Thief shortly after winning an Academy Award for The Country Girl.
These now-iconic images, taken at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco, captured the poised American actress and the reserved sovereign at the very beginning of a relationship that would captivate the world. As Frei emphasised, Quinn’s photographs were not merely documentary but instrumental in shaping the public narrative of what would become the “wedding of the century” on April 19, 1956.
The presentation also explored Quinn’s broader body of work, including his coverage of Monaco’s high society events such as the Bal de la Rose, founded by Princess Grace. Today, Frei and his wife Ursula continue to preserve and promote the Edward Quinn Archive, ensuring that these defining visual records of Riviera history remain accessible.
According to the Director of the Irish Library Paula Farquharson (above with Frei), this opening event “set the tone for a commemorative year celebrating not only a royal union, but also the photographer who immortalised its very first moment”.
Save the date: On Friday, April 17, MonacoUSA will host a special Networking Event on the eve of the princely couple’s civil wedding in 1956. The Association’s featured guests will be the Groupe Nice-Matin who will present their extraordinary “Hors Serie” magazine which brilliantly captures in 116 pages this historic event in both English and French version editions.
Article and photos courtesy of Annette Ross Anderson. Article first published April 3, 2026.
What a privilege to sit down with Rear Admiral Kenneth Blackmon, Vice Commander at US Fleet Forces Command, who was in the Principality for a friendly visit on March 9. At a private cocktail, the officer was welcomed by members and friends of the US Navy League of the French Riviera – Monaco Council, as well as members of the Yacht Club de Monaco, of which the Manhattan Yacht Club is a reciprocal club.
In July 2026, Sail4th.org and the US Navy have organised one of the largest tall ship and multi-national naval ship gatherings in the world, with US Fleet Forces Command and Rear Admiral Blackmon key to the detailed planning. Monaco’s maritime heritage Tuiga (1909) and Viola (1908) will sail to New York to celebrate 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence on July 4.
Beyond the semiquincentennial, he also talked about the roles that legacy, technology, and women play in the US Navy. And what it means to serve your country.
Nancy Heslin: Can you tell us about your distinguished 37-year career with the US Navy?
Rear Admiral Kenneth Blackmon: I am the Vice Commander at US Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk, Virginia. My boss is responsible for all ships, submarines, and aircraft on the East Coast of the United States. He is also the naval component commander to Northern Command that provides defense support for civil authorities and maritime homeland defense, as well as being the naval component commander for Strategic Command. He’s responsible for all our ballistic missile submarines in the world.
My job is to assist him, and the rest of the staff there, in executing those missions that we’re responsible for. It’s very busy right now and it’s been busy ever since I joined in 2021. We help to generate and train the forces that deploy. So forces that right now are in harm’s way were trained by our team.
You’ve been in the service with the Navy for almost 40 years. When you visit academies where young people want to have a career in the Navy, what is the question you get asked the most?
I get a lot of questions, from midshipmen and cadets about what is life is like at sea, aboard ship. And I share with them how interesting and different it is to be out to sea. It’s a unique experience sailing across the Pacific Ocean, when you’re out in virtually the middle of the ocean. You go out in the evening and look up and you see, you know, a hundred thousand stars or a billion stars or whatever, and it’s just a surreal experience. You’re very minuscule in that big world.
And then there’s the power of the sea. My first ship was a destroyer. When we were cruising on deployment, we hit an area with 40-foot waves. You realize how vulnerable you are even on such a powerful ship, that those seas can be really formidable.
I would imagine that if you are in sea conditions like that but you’re still trying to be that strong Navy sailor, you would not want show your emotions to anyone else on the ship?
I learned very early on that when I was told there were going be rough seas, I always took a pill to keep me from getting seasick. You really need to be on your game when you’re out at sea.
What are some of the other aspects about being in the US Navy that maybe midshipmen don’t think about?
I think right now there is such a focus for the Navy on the professional development of their military, their navy officers, and their sailors, that there’s great opportunities for additional education, for exchange programs, even with corporations. We’ve put Navy sailors into Google and Amazon to see how those operations work and then bring that experience back to the Navy to help us to continue to improve and create efficiencies.
The other aspect is that – certainly as a naval officer, a midshipman coming out of the Academy or an ROTC program – you’re going to have responsibility for up to 50 or 60 people right away. Immediately you walk on the ship, you’re responsible for this.
What do you mean when you say ROTC?
The Reserve Officer Training Corps are universities where our students also do Navy classes. They get commissioned like they would coming out of the Academy. So, you get a public or a private education and are then commissioned into the Navy out of that program.
Being responsible for 50 people is a lot to put on someone right away. How do you train them?
It is. I think they do a fantastic job at the Naval Academy and through the ROTC programs to get people prepared, but it really is a test that happens in real time. You learn whether you’ve got it or not.
In my case, I did an International Affairs Program at George Washington University and was commissioned. My class started with 229 students and we commissioned 33 of those original students, so there was quite an attrition rate of those students who came in.
I think part of the attrition is that you realize you’re part of an important mission that’s not always safe.
What do you remember as being the toughest part of your training? I’m sure it still sticks in your mind.
The part of the training that was most challenging was being pulled out for six weeks or so of the summer to go out with the fleet and serve with other sailors. That was pretty challenging. I did that in our base out of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. We would be up at 5 am and come back into port at 10 or 11 pm. Then do it all over again the next day.
If you look at today’s climate, there’s a lot of instability in the world and a people have different feelings about different countries. So how does the US Navy teach someone to serve their country?
It takes a special kind of background or special kind of patriotism. We do see quite a number of Navy personnel that come as part of a legacy, from families that have served. My father was a naval officer and had done the ROTC program at Penn State. He was stationed on the Sixth Fleet flagship and so my parents spent their first year of marriage in Villefranche in 1962. Part of my coming back here has been to be able to celebrate his legacy.
And what role do women now play in the Navy?
I have an opportunity in my role to go to our recruit training center in Great Lakes and interact with the new sailors coming in. And it’s really interesting to hear their stories and hear their questions. A couple things that were really unique was how diverse it is, how many women are coming into the Navy, and all military services, but also minorities, people from foreign countries that come into the Navy. And part of their opportunity is to become citizens of the United States once they’ve served.
If you look back to when you began your studies, does technology now play a different role in education and how we learn?
In the US Navy, we’ve looked at technology as an enabler so that the sailors and the midshipmen are able to utilize technology. We’re really trying to capitalize on that, but it does come back to fundamentals. When the Navy was founded 250 years ago it was a sailing ship navy and we navigated by the stars.
We are teaching these midshipmen how to navigate by the stars because we can’t guarantee that we’re going to have the technology to enable everything that we can do, so we have something called mission command. That’s when we tell our commanders. They have a responsibility to actually execute the mission in the absence of communication. If we can’t communicate from the fleet, then they still know what their mission is and they can execute it.
We are trying, first of all, to build redundancies so that we can continue to maintain communication, but also to be able to look at those what-ifs, you know, those contingencies of losing communications or having challenges at sea.
When you look back over the years, what’s one of the moments that was either the most challenging or just took your breath away in service?
I was in Kuwait three days before Saddam Hussein invaded. Now, when I speak to sailors at various events, I ask, “Who has participated in Desert Storm or Desert Shield?” And there’s usually only one or two hands that go up – or no hands.
That Kuwait experience was really very early in my career and it was the real thing, as in “I am in harm’s way right now.” It was challenging, but coming out of it, I felt that the training that was provided, even in the short time I had been in service, had helped prepare me for that.
And the Navy has provided great opportunities for me. I’ve been to 41 countries. I’ve worked for NATO, I’ve sailed all the oceans. I’ve been really fortunate and I wouldn’t do it any differently, really.
Claudia Batthyany, project manager of Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting YCM Luigi Sinapi, Rear Admiral of the Italian Navy, Director of the International Hydrographic Organization Rear Admiral Kenneth Blackmon, Vice Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command Susan Feaster, Acting President US Navy League French Riviera – Monaco Council Arnaud Maoulierac, French Naval Officer
The US Navy League French Riviera and Monaco Council has just been revived. What is the purpose of these associations over time for the US Navy?
It’s really important for our sailors. To understand, a lot of them deploy for 6, 7, 8 or 9 months. That’s a lot of time away from family and friends. And so that support system that the Navy League provides for our sailors’ families back home is critical to the execution of our mission. We don’t want our sailors that are out doing their mission to have concerns with the family back home, and the Navy League is critical to being able to provide that support and that link from communities all over the world. The Navy has had a long history here in the Port of Monaco, that’s for sure.
It’s a big year for the United States celebrating its 250th anniversary and you are a part of organizing the July 4th tall ship event?
I have a team at Fleet Forces Command. They’re responsible for the International Naval Review in New York City for a semi-quincentennial celebration so we’re really just super excited to be able to have so many allies and partners participate with us – with tall ships, with warships – it’s going to be a really fantastic event.
And Monaco’s Tuiga yacht will be in New York for July 4th.
So, July 1st through the 8th will be the full celebration, with the main event on July 4th. It’s going to be phenomenal. And the other thing I’ll mention, just because we’re so close to France here, is that the Statue of Liberty will have a prominent position in the videos and photos of the event.
Article first published March 23, 2026. Image copyright Nancy Heslin.
International Women’s Day, Monaco was celebrated at full throttle this year with the inaugural Speed Queen Kart Trophy.
The feel-good, all-female amateur race brought girls and women together on March 8 for a day of speed, sisterhood and a little friendly competition at Box 98 Monaco in Fontvieille.
Go-karters battled it out on the track between 10 am and 2 pm to secure a spot in the Grand Finale, when the fastest stars from every category went wheel-to-wheel hoping to win the coveted 2026 Speed Queen KartTrophy.
Tiffaney Perlino, President of the Women in Motorsport Commission at the Automobile Club de Monaco, and Speed Queen organiser, says, “I was delighted to see the energy and enthusiasm on the karting circuit,” Tiffaney says. ”There were drivers of all ages and many of them brought friends and family to cheer them on, making it a really friendly-family atmosphere. We saw a lot of happy faces.”
She adds, “A big thank you to the young talented female VIP drivers who were available to talk to the girls and share their passion and experience. I hope this will encourage more girls and women to seek out what this exciting sport has to offer.”
Madeline Lasalle walked away with the 2026 Speed Queen Kart Trophy, as presented by Tiffaney.
Trophies for best lap time in category went to: Camille Spallarossa (Kids), presented by Lina Salamanca, an emerging talent and winner of the prestigious Volant Jules Bianchi.
Carla Ackermann (Junior), presented by Vicky Farfus, a Monaco resident who finished P4 in the FIA World Karting Cup 2025. She became the first girl in history to finish in the top five of a FIA karting race, among nearly 90 drivers from around the world.
Madeline Lasalle (Senior), presented by Ella Häkkinen, Monaco resident and the youngest driver of the McLaren Driver Development Programme, the result of major European karting victories.
Enriqueta Casanas Ficini (Masters) presented by Celine Cottalarda, Comite droits des Femmes.
And the Team Trophy went to Martine and Carla Ackermann, presented by Charles Flaujac President of the Karting Commission ACM.
Registration for the Speed Queen Kart Trophy (€27 adult; €25 under-18) at Box 98 included 8 minutes of track time plus a light lunch spread and refreshments at the Paddock Bar courtesy of the Automobile Club de Monaco, who also supplied the magnificent trophies.
“This event is about showing that motorsport is more than just Formula 1 and Netflix,” says Tiffaney. “It’s about participation, inclusion and representation. There are countless ways to be part of the sport – whether you’re in the driver’s seat or working behind the scenes, whether you’re a boy or a girl. Motorsport belongs to everyone … and its fun!”
According to Formula One, 42% of F1 fans worldwide are women – with the fastest-growing demographic aged 18 to 24. The message is clear: women aren’t just watching from the stands, they’re ready to take the wheel.
Watch this space for the 2027 Speed Queen Kart Trophy date.
For more information, contact comfemsport@acm.mc.Article first published March 9, 2026. Photos: Copyright Nancy Heslin.
At first glance, the story of Sabrina Gazza’s may seem familiar enough. The Monegasque dreamed of becoming a teacher and picked up a mathematics degree from the University of Nice. But then, like for many of us, her career path took an unexpected twist. “For the past twelve years, I’ve been working at a temporary employment agency as part of a wonderful team,” says the married mom to 15-year-old twin boys.
But any similarities end on April 19, 2023. The then 42-year-old and her family were in St. Barts visiting her niece who had an internship at the time. Sabrina, born and raised in Monaco, had grown up next to the Mediterranean but had a lifelong fear of the sea and lacked navigation skills. That particular day, the group had decided to go out on a boat but stayed close to the coast so that Sabrina could swim.
“There was a bit of a swell, and we began to dangerously drift towards the rocks,” Sabrina describes. “To avoid causing damage to the boat, I jumped into the water with my sister, Albane, to push it back. Once the boat was in the clear, the captain opened the throttle. I was still leaning against the side of the boat and was sucked into the propellers.”
Sabrina took a deep breath, convinced she was about to drown.
“When I resurfaced, everything went silent. I paddled to keep myself afloat, aware that something was wrong, but not knowing what. Albane immediately saw the gravity of the situation. Without panicking, she pulled me out of the water and applied makeshift tourniquets with whatever she could find.”
Suddenly the silence was broken – “screams, commotion, panic”. “That’s when the pain overwhelmed me”
As it happened, doctors who were vacationing nearby heard the commotion and rushed over, carrying her to the harbour where emergency services took over.
Just before being airlifted Pointe to Pitre University Hospital, Sabrina was able to say to her mom: “It’s just an accident, no one is to blame.” Her mom understood immediately that her daughter was going to fight for her life. “And that’s exactly what happened. I had no other option but to pull through, for myself and the sake of my loved ones.”
Sabrina had a double amputation below her knees. After 10 days in intensive care at Pointe-à-Pitre, she was transferred to the Princesse Grace Hospital Centre in Monaco for a fortnight before being sent to Pasteur Hospital in Nice for another two weeks. She then spent four months at the Hélio-Marin Centre, a rehabilitation facility in Vallauris specialising in musculoskeletal, neurological, and amputation care. “That’s where the real work began.”
As she recalls, “The hardest thing in rehabilitation was seeing how lonely some patients were – no family, no friends, only other patients to support them. I realised how lucky I was. I really didn’t face any difficulties, and for the first time in a long while, I was solely focused on taking care of myself.”
From Monday to Friday, Sabrina underwent two physiotherapy sessions and a workout every days, plus there were visits from family and friends. She spent the weekends at home. “This routine helped me stay focused and keep going without my mind getting the better of me.”
She says it was the unconditional support of family, friends and health care professionals – from start to finish – that kept her going. “Since the accident, I need more reassurance and to be acknowledged. I may appear to be strong but the truth is I often need to be comforted. The fact that they are there for me every day has helped me cope and continue moving on.”
To be able to walk with prostheses, Sabrina had to strengthen her abdominal muscles. She tried different sports, but they were too limiting. Then in May 2025 the assistant secretary of the Sociéte Nautique de Monaco (SNM, Monaco’s rowing club) introduced her to Ludovic Savoye, who would become her rowing partner. “Rowing ticked all the boxes … except for being a water sport. But they convinced me to give it a try. So I started with the ergometer, which gave me access to the sport without going out on the water straight away.”
By September, Sabrina decided to try rowing with the club at Lake Saint-Cassien. “It was the logical next step. Like everything since the accident, the day I decided to return to the water, I did so without questioning myself at all.”
In January 2026, Sabrina started rowing in an adapted single skull in Port Hercules. “I feel some apprehension, but I’m confident it will eventually pass.”
Sabrina combines four weekly sessions on the ergometer with one or two outings on the water, with the goal of skulling more and more frequently. “On the days when my progress feels slow, Ludovic and my family are there to remind me of everything I’ve achieved and this helps put things into perspective. And, two or three sessions later, I get back into warrior mode and continue to push ahead.”
Warrior indeed. In January 2026, eight months after first trying the ergo, Sabrina competed in her first French National Indoor Rowing Championship in Paris. She placed first in the PR3 Mixed Inclusive 4×500m Relay, in which each team has one para-athlete; third in the women’s 500-metre PR2 category – a class comprising functional use of arms and trunk with a fixed seat; and fourth in the 2000 metres. (Photos: Sabrina on the ergo, above, and with first place team SNM below. Facebook Fédération Française d’Aviron.)
“Obviously, I was nervous beforehand but as soon as the starter went off, that tension turned into energy. The atmosphere – intense and welcoming – allowed me to stay focused and push myself.
“What made the moment more special was the presence of most of my family and friends, who had come to Stade Pierre de Coubertin to cheer me on. Seeing them in the stands and feeling their support was invaluable. And I think my children were really proud of their mom. For me, that was one of the greatest rewards of this first competition.”
The medallist now has her eye on the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles for the mixed doubles event. With Ludovic, the teammates are going to compete in as many competitions as possible to show that they deserve a spot at the highest level. The only slight complication is that Ludovic is not Monegasque. “Despite this, we are moving forward together, with the same goal in mind.”
As Sabrina puts it, “Participating in the Games would be a dream come true, a chance to take my life back. Not an end in itself, but a symbol – a symbol of everything I have rebuilt, of everything I refused to give up on. And when I look back … I could never have imagined this, even in my wildest dreams.”
“What I would like people to take away from all of this is that we all have a strength within us that we don’t realise. We don’t choose the challenges we face, but we can choose how we deal with them. In my case, I decided to move forward, to fight, and to continue living life to the fullest – even if it’s different.”
Sabrina doesn’t see herself as a source of inspiration. “I just move on with what life has given me, trying to stay positive and do my best. But if my story can help someone, then I’m happy.”
Société Nautique de Monaco gave her “a warm welcome and kindness” from day one. “There is a real sense of solidarity, a simplicity in communication, and, above all, a shared desire in a passion for rowing.
“My rowing partner, the coaches, the club members … everyone, in their own way, has helped me find my place. I feel supported, encouraged, and never judged. It’s an environment where I can progress, surpass myself, and feel fully legitimate. After everything I’ve been through, that means a lot.”
Article first published on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2026.
