Born in Vicenza, Del Buono began training with her mother as coach and became a member of the Gruppo Sportivo Forestale sports club. Early in her life, she was more interested in dance, but began taking part in athletics in seriousness around 2011. She soon rose to prominence nationally and competed in the heats of the 1500 metres at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics. Del Buono also ran over 4 km at the 2012 European Cross Country Championships, finishing 40th overall.