"I know exactly how your family and friends feel right now, but I especially know how you feel now, in a hospital bed in pain and with a thousand thoughts in your head. But know that I too have never forgotten that terrible time and I will carry it in my memories for as long as I live."

Thus begins the long post published on social media by Walter Ledda, 39, a resident of Porto Torres who wanted to send a message of solidarity towards Leonardo Manghina, the young 34-year-old chef from Sennori who was involved, on the night between January 13 and 14, in the serious accident on the outskirts of Sassari. A terrible impact following which he suffered the amputation of his foot. The same fate suffered by Walter Ledda almost 25 years ago, due to an accident.

“I was just a 15-year-old boy and life was just blossoming,” he says. “I always said, ‘Why me?’ Then over time I tried to turn this question around. ‘Why not me?’ I remember that my worst time was the first month, I will never forget the person who came to visit me in the hospital and who I will thank for the rest of my life. I was still in a wheelchair because of the stitches still in my stump, this person told me, ‘Walter, you will never walk again, but you can run again if you want.’” He responded to those words with a desperate cry, incredulous and with tears in his eyes. “It’s not possible, look at me as I am.” It was at that moment that the person lifted up his pants, showed his prosthetic leg and started walking. “Look, Walter,” he said to me, “this is a case like yours and if you want, you can walk again.” "I was shocked, speechless because I couldn't believe it, but it was all real, this man with a prosthesis walked more than a normal person." And from that day on, Walter decided to take his life back into his own hands. "I can do it too," he said to himself.

"After about 6 months, for the first time I went to Bologna to get my first prosthesis to walk, I was excited like a child, or rather like a newborn taking his first steps. I remember as if it were yesterday, the orthopedist who put the prosthesis on me told me: "Walter, remember to do it slowly, the stump needs to get used to it little by little, don't strain too much", but I couldn't see anymore and so I started running like crazy. I fell and got up again. I remember that while I was out in a big park I started chasing chickens".

After a few years Walter Ledda found himself running with world champions at the 2004 Pre-Paralympics where he could meet people who came from all over the world. "This is the best I can receive", I thought. "So a lot of people called me as sponsors, different companies in Milan who wanted me to sign up with them but also here in my beloved Sardinia, in Cagliari. I chose, however, not to move from the vicinity and stayed to train in Sassari at the Stadio dei Pini, then also in Sorso and Porto Torres".

Today Walter is happy. "Now I have a family of my own, a fantastic wife and a beautiful daughter who is the most beautiful thing in the world."

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