Manuel Bortuzzo was in for a nasty surprise on his return trip from Africa. Upon arriving in Rome, the swimmer discovered that his wheelchair , an essential tool for getting around, had been severely damaged during the plane ride.

An episode that Bortuzzo denounced on social media above all to draw attention to a problem that affects many people with disabilities : "Wheelchairs are our legs, our freedom," he wrote, underlining how in 2026 it is unacceptable that essential aids are treated superficially.

Bortuzzo was returning from a trip between Zanzibar and Tanzania with his girlfriend when, upon returning his special luggage, he found his wheelchair damaged beyond use. The swimmer documented the whole thing with photos and videos posted on social media. After the first Stories, he decided to publish a permanent post because, he explained, numerous people had told him similar experiences.

Bortuzzo acknowledged that he is in a privileged position because he can quickly find a solution, but he urged people to think about those who own only one wheelchair and are suddenly at risk of being unable to carry out normal daily activities.

In February 2019, Bortuzzo, then 19 and a promising Italian swimmer, was struck in the back by a bullet during a shooting near Rome's Axa district. The spinal cord injury left him paraplegic, completely changing his life.

(Unioneonline)

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