Fall and then rise again
Hi! I'm Matteo Cattini and I'm the captain of the Italian Para Powerlifting Team. As you can see my left leg is missing. In 2008, when I was 23, I was riding my motorbike, a wonderful Yamaha R6, my passion. The sensation I could feel when I was riding this motorbike is beyond description. Well, like a lot of true love stories, also this one ended badly. I was driving around a corner and there was a hole in the road. I was thrown off the motorbike and I ended up on a lamppost. I spent more than 8 months in several hospitals and was receiving bad news every day from the doctors: amputation of both legs, wheelchair for life, death, other severe complications. I tried not to lose my hopes and my natural positivity. As soon as I left the hospital, I started going to the gym: I needed to restore both my body shape and my spirit. That's when I discover my new passion: powerlifting. Apparently I was pretty good at it, in fact, I started to compete at the national level, winning my first titles. In 2012 I was called up by the National Team and I started my first international competitions. My heart skipped a beat when I got the call for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, the dream of every athlete. Now I'm putting every single part of me into the Tokyo 2020's qualification pathway, and I need all the support I can get from people who are willing to send me positive vibes!
And remember, losing a leg means nothing when your heart keeps beating.
