A day dedicated to inclusion, shared passion for two wheels and fun: a special driving course for motorcyclists with various disabilities was staged in Cervesina
On paper it is humanly incomprehensible what pushes a person who in the past had a bad motorcycle accident, in which he lost an arm, a leg or even was paralyzed, to get back on the bike, amid a thousand difficulties related to obtaining a license, if the necessary physical requirements are met, and then in the riding of the bike itself. On paper, precisely, because then the smile printed on the faces of these guys, their eyes at the sight of a motorcycle or when an engine is turned on make it clear how every problem in life can be circumvented and can be circumnavigated. And every dream, however difficult, expensive, wasteful, seemingly unattainable, can ultimately come true. This is the gist of the day organized by Diversamente Disabili, an association headed by the president and founder Emiliano Malagoli that takes care of getting kids with physical complications back on the bike and teaching them the right driving technique based on disability, and BMW Motorrad, within the SpecialMente social responsibility project.
Bmw and Di.Di .: instructors and students
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A team of about thirty volunteers arrived from the ranks of BMW Motorrad Italia and its Federclub committed to the creation of a driving course for disabled motorcyclists organized by the Diversamente Disabili association. Di.Di. (abbreviation) and among the many activities it carries out for those who want to get closer or closer to the motorcycle overcoming their disability, for several years it has been offering driving courses dedicated to these motorcyclists with specifically modified bikes and certified instructors. Instructors, it is good to specify it, both able-bodied and with disabilities as much as similar to those of the students, in order to provide them with valuable advice and great added value on the part of those who have the same problem. The participants first followed the theoretical lesson and then put the newly learned technique into practice. The participants were divided into groups based on the type of disability, since each disability implies not only a different use of one’s body, but also of the motorcycles, with all the modifications to follow.
Bmw and Di.Di .: the activities of Cervesina
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During the day in Cervesina (PV), three parallel activities were staged. First of all the driving course dedicated to motorcyclists with disabilities, at the basis of the activity of this association. Thanks to this type of Di.Di. it also helps these motorcyclists to obtain the special “AS” license when the specific physical situation allows it. A dozen boys participated in the course, divided into three groups and followed by as many instructors. The Pit Bike course, included in the program in recent years, has made it possible to provide this experience even to those people who, due to their age or psycho-physical condition, cannot ride a larger bike. Finally, by interpreting the meaning of the word inclusion in a complete and bidirectional sense, a basic approach to the track course was organized for able-bodied motorcyclists. This activity is not new to Emiliano Malagoli, a Paralympic rider of international level, who thanks to his skills and experience on the track has tried his hand at giving advice, suggesting trajectories, filming and then explaining the corrections to be made to the motorcyclists who took part. to the course.
emotions
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Among the participants also Franco Antonello with his son Andrea, an autistic boy who after countless journeys as a passenger marked the first km with the handlebars in his hands. Papa Franco is at the forefront of helping autistic children through the social enterprise “I Bambini delle Fate”, also supported by BMW Italia through SpecialMente. “It was from the beginning of the pandemic that in the calendar of courses of the Di.Di association there was no appointment in northern Italy – says the president of the association Emiliano Malagoli – and the desire to be close also in a concrete way to these young Strong. Organizing driving courses of this type is complicated, the needs of the participants are multiple due to their physical situation and there is a need for many resources and many people. I thank Bmw Motorrad Italia for the support and the people who through the Federclub they made themselves available to help us deliver the course. I was thrilled “, concluded Malagoli.
the remaining talent
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“When we thought of declining the BMW Motorrad philosophy in terms of corporate social responsibility – said Roberto Olivi, Director of Institutional Relations and Communication of BMW Italy – it came spontaneously to adapt our claim, making it become” Make Life an inclusive Ride “. And the event bears witness to this philosophy: the desire to be involved in the first person, to be together with these people who have a disability and help them to go beyond the limits, living a memorable day for all the participants. We saw one in action. of the concepts learned by our brand ambassador Alessandro Zanardi: that of residual talent. The guys we saw on the track used their residual skills to do incredible things on the track, adopting that proactive and constructive attitude that allows them to overcome even difficulties and constraints that they seemed unbeatable “, concluded Olivi.
09 September 2022 – 12:01
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