Dto rehabilitation a Montecatone to national competitions, passing through a path built day after day, Riccardo Bruno, 18 years old, from Genoa, won the title of Italian junior pararchery champion. Success came in Lamezia Terme, at the end of the races promoted by Fitarco, and represents the outcome of a sporting and clinical journey developed in just over six years.
In 2019, during a stay in Costa Rica, Riccardo’s life suddenly changes. At just 12 years old he comes hit in the neck by a stingray. The tail sting causes a serious spinal cord injury, significantly compromising his mobility. Repatriated on a humanitarian flight together with his family, he was transferred to the Maggiore Hospital in Bologna, where the doctors chose a conservative approach, based on an intensive rehabilitation program.
It was during his rehabilitation in Montecatone, where he had been transferred in the meantime, that Riccardo came into contact with archery. «The discipline is an integral part of the programs aimed at people with spinal cord and/or brain injury and is proposed within a structured clinical project» recalls Montecatone, who has also produced Paralympic medals in the specialty (like Stefano Travisani).
«Included in the Re-education of Sports Gesture (RGS), sports work contributes to the development of trunk control, motor coordination, cardiorespiratory capacity and functional management of the wheelchair, alongside traditional therapeutic objectives – underlined by the Imola institute of excellence in reconstructing Riccardo’s path -. Over time, the experience in the rehabilitation field transforms into a real competitive journey.” Constant commitment and continuity of training allow Riccardo to enter official competitions, until he reaches the national junior pararchery title. A result that testifies to the solidity of a path built progressively and followed methodically.
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