My name is Giulia. October 6, 2011, changed my life forever. I was 19 years old and was going on my scooter home when I crashed. It was not a big crash, but the sudden jerk backward broke a bone in my spine.
Courtesy of Giulia Lamarca
At first, the pain started in my foot and slowly moved up my back in a strange way. Then I heard the sirens. After surgery, one of my clearest memories is waking up and feeling a warm hand holding mine. I did not know whose hand it was, but that quiet touch gave me comfort when everything felt so overwhelming.
Courtesy of Giulia Lamarca
i immediately sensed something wasnt right. My legs felt strange, like they did not belong to me. I told others I could feel their touch, but deep down I knew I could not. My brother had survived leukemia before, and I did not want my family to go through more pain. So, I hid my fear and tried to protect them instead.
Courtesy of Giulia Lamarca
I used humor to get through it. I joked about skipping lines or getting special treatment. But inside, I already understood my life was divided into two parts. Months later, the doctors confirmed what I feared. I had incomplete paraplegia. From that moment, I needed a wheelchair. my dad and mom looked very worried but i didnt care that much.
Courtesy of Giulia Lamarca
Before the accident, I was very active. I played tennis and volleyball and was always moving. Suddenly, I had to rebuild my life. I learned to see my wheelchair not just as a loss but as a way to get freedom. Even though I resented what it meant, it also gave me a new way to live.
Courtesy of Giulia Lamarca
During rehabilitation, I met Andrea, a young physiotherapist. Near the end of his internship, he asked, “Why don’t we go to Australia when you finish here?” I laughed, sure he was joking. I was afraid of love and thought no one could accept me as I was. But Andrea stayed, first as a friend and then as something more.
Courtesy of Giulia Lamarca
Australia was just the beginning. Andrea and I have since traveled to over 80 cities and 23 countries. I have seen the Great Wall of China, climbed Machu Picchu, and climbed the 1,000 steps in Sri Lanka.
Courtesy of Giulia Lamarca
Travel made me feel alive again. It showed me that even though I cannot walk, I can still follow my dreams. I learned that many obstacles exist only in the mind, and with determination, almost anything is possible.
Courtesy of Giulia Lamarca
Courtesy of Giulia Lamarca
I may never be the carefree nineteen-year-old I once was, but I still live fully, one country and one challenge at a time. My advice is simple: never stop chasing what makes you feel free. Be the one who breaks the mold, not the one who follows it.
