Matteo Cattini on the power of sport, the freedom of exploring

Matteo Cattini recovered from a life-changing accident and found a world of inspiration and freedom in power-lifting and world travel.

Matteo Cattini originally shared his story with Yoocan, a global collaborative community where people with disabilities share experiences and knowledge — so that no one feels alone. Yoocan and Why We Play are a natural match and overlap in the most important thing for our community INSPIRATION. FanSided is excited to partner with Yoocan and share some of their stories on our website — exciting and fantastic sports stories from people with disabilities. Come check out more of our joint material, and keep following for collaborations!

I am Matteo Cattini, captain of the Italian Para Powerlifting Team. I had a very bad accident in 2008 when I was 23. I was super in love with my Yamaha R6 motorbike. Like many love stories, this one also ended badly. There was a hole in the road, right after a corner, and I was thrown off the motorbike and I ended up on a lamppost.

I spent more than eight months in several hospitals and the feedback from the doctors was often discouraging: bi-amputation, severe complications, even death. I tried not to lose hope and my natural positivity. As soon as I left the hospital, I started going to the gym: I needed to restore both my body and my spirit. That’s when I discovered my new passion: para powerlifting.

From the hospital, to para powerlifting to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games

Going to the gym after more than eight months at the hospital seemed like a good idea to regain some muscle tone. Apparently, I was pretty good at it. In fact, I soon started to compete at a national level, winning my first titles. In 2012 I was called up by the National Team and I started to travel abroad for international competitions. My heart skipped a beat when I got the call for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, the dream of every Para Athlete. Now, after 13 years as an almost full-time athlete with a job, I am now dedicating more to my sports national federation where I also work as an employee (Italian Weightlifting Federation, FIPE).

Matteo Cattini: Never stop exploring!

My life is not only about Para Powerlifting but also about traveling the world! Thanks to my bionic leg, I can walk almost everywhere and explore nature around the world. I’ve visited Jordan, Iceland, Norway, US on the road, Greeks Islands, Ireland, Finland, my beautiful Country … and many more to come!

Sometimes, especially if I’m on a steep path, I meet people that stare at me, and then they say kind words that congratulate me for my spirit. This flatters me, but at the same time, I hope for an ideal world where every amputee has the possibility to do it. And that’s not the current case. I hope that things will change in the near future, and communities like this play an essential role in showing what we can do. Anything!

Why We Play features stories about the power of sports to bring us together, overcome obstacles, make positive change and reach everyone. Read more here.