Transplant Cyclists Showcase Rebirth on Giro del Veneto Route

They travel the streets of Italy carrying the image of rebirth after a transplant: a difficult but inevitable moment not so much to stay alive but to truly start living again.

They are the highly specialized athletes of the Gruppo Ciclistico Trapiantati (Transplant Cyclists Group), who recently stopped in Peschiera for the third stage of the Giro del Veneto, which this year also touches Lombardy and Friuli Venezia Giulia.

The sixteen cyclists and their companions were welcomed with a refreshment by volunteers from the local Aido section, the cardiotransplant recipients group, and the Alpini group.

“After many years of dialysis, I had forgotten what it means to be healthy and lead a normal life,” recounts Guido Bonazzi from Parma.

“We have come back to life and yes, it’s true, with effort, especially when pedaling uphill.”

The Cyclists’ Testimony

“Indeed, people often don’t realize what a transplant really entails,” echoes Enzo Franceschin from Treviso.

“I was transplanted eighteen years ago: I remember that at 25 I couldn’t climb two flights of stairs. Today, I participate in the Giro del Veneto precisely to make people understand that what volunteers and doctors preach leads to a very clear result: that result is us.”

The sixteen cyclists, who use their regular vacation days to participate in the event, have an average age between 40 and 50 years; among them are kidney, liver, and heart transplant recipients.

The Value of the Initiative

“One of the most beautiful things about this initiative is that around us, not only volunteer associations committed to donation are moving; throughout our journey, we are also accompanied by other athletes, amateur cycling groups like ours, who support us.”

“In this way, we truly believe we can raise awareness among the public,” continues Franceschin, “and in a different way than usual; we hope to succeed in overcoming those endless waiting lists that separate a life ended from its rebirth.”

Today, the group will make a stop in Legnago in the afternoon, where they will be welcomed by the ULSS leaders on via Zanella.

Giuditta Bolognesi