Wadi Rum, Jordan, 13th -14th November 2015
The sport event of the ICU “100 Feet To Walk Towards Peace” project, funded by the Italian Development Cooperation, was held on the weekend of 13th and 14th November in Wadi Rum, Jordan.
Fifteen project beneficiaries with lower limb amputations (both below-knee and above-knee) participated to the event. These beneficiaries have all received new prosthesis, as well as rehabilitation, in the past months, and accepted to test their capacities spending two days in the Wadi Rum (south Jordan), sleeping in tents in the desert and practicing both hiking and climbing for the very first time.
The group was accompanied and supported by a team of ICU staff, physiotherapists and certified climbing guides.
The first day was dedicated to a simple hike, in order to have all participants adapting to walk in the new environment, characterized by sand and rocks, doing something easy but satisfying. The second day the group reached with their own hands a climbing wall in the desert, ideal climbing for beginners. Despite the initial fear and skepticism, all the 15 beneficiaries climbed up with great succeed, and according to the guides showed even more motivation and precision than people who climb for the first time.
Moreover, these two days have been very important from the point of view of the psychological rehabilitation. The fact of leaving the routine of their life, of overcoming their limits, showing that they are able to travel and live in “extreme” and reaching arduous sport goals, gave all of them new hopes and trust in themselves.
