ROME – When the roof of the ‘Darwin’ high school in Rivoli collapsed on 4D students in 2008, two 17-year-olds were talking to each other. One was called Vito Scafidi, who lost his life in that tragic accident. The other, Andrea Macrì, was seriously injured in the back and limbs. After nine months in the hospital and years of treatment and physiotherapy, Andrea slowly managed to regain some of his motor mobility and did not stop fighting. Today he is a Paralympic athlete of para ice hockey, discipline in which the Italian team has just won fifth place at the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games.
“An unexpected fifth place – says Andrea Macrì to the Dire agency- They were special games for everything that happened outside. But we went ahead and thought only of our goal, which was to play and fight every game, even when we played with professional players. We fought, we fought and in the end we finished fifth and first European nation in this sport”.
Andrea approaches the Paralympic sport during the rehabilitation period at the Spinal Unit of the Orthopedic Trauma Center of Turin, where he was hospitalized following the accident. During his rehabilitation he approaches some Paralympic sports such as archery and fencing. He starts competing in epee and foil, but then discovers para ice hockey, the variant of ice hockey reserved for people with disabilities.
“I invite young people who do not know this sport to watch it, follow it, try it. I’m sure it will thrill them– Andrea comments- We need to promote this discipline more, starting with communication. It would be nice to start seeing athletes in some commercialsuse the communication tools of young people such as social media and increase our appeal to try to entice young people to approach this sport “.
Today, 14 years after the accident, Andrea still has contacts with the 4D students, who have now become adults. “Especially with one of these, Francesco, who has always supported me – he says – Many of them have taken different paths, but I know very well that there is a very strong bond that will always bind us. If I managed to transform the pain of the drama into competitive motivation it is above all thanks to the help of my family, friends, even the hospital staff: they were the main support. Finding yourself at 17, for 9 months in hospital, is not easy. Ma sport made me meet more and more people and made me understand which world I was approaching: the Paralympic one, a wonderful world”.
Now, after the Beijing adventure, Andrea and the Italian para ice hockey team are already looking to their next goal: Milan-Cortina. A great opportunity to “excite the public and put something important around your neck. We will make you dream “.
