The photo project “Like a Butterfly” tells the story of the Italian Paralympic athlete Martina Caironi.
Born in 1989 in Alzano Lombardo, Bergamo, Italy, Martina has felt a strong inclination towards sports in general, since she was a child.
During the night between November 1st and 2nd, 2007, her life took a turn when, returning from a party, she was involved in a serious motorcycle accident with her brother. The car that hit them crushed her left leg, and as a result, the leg was amputated at the knee.
Martina’s life stood at a crossroads, but after 3 extremely challenging years dedicated to rehabilitation, she showed her immense strength and tenacity, refusing to succumb to despair, fighting towards a new life.
The decisive moment came in 2010 when she received her first prosthetic leg, inspired by Paralympic athletes.
Thanks to this special artificial leg, Martina started competing in para-athletics disciplines, achieving simply thrilling results in the 100m sprint and long jump, T42 category.
In the following 13 years her carrier was filled with success, gold medals and world records achieved in Italy and at the Paralympics Games, World and European Championships.
Today Martina is still very active, pouring a large energy and passion into sports.
The special prosthesis that Martina wears during competitions, which is notably different from the one she uses in everyday life, has been specifically designed for her by specialized technicians. It enables her to deliver performances at a very high level.
She has become a symbol of resilience and human ability to overcome physical limitations imposed by life’s dramatic events.
She will undoubtedly be a key figure in the upcoming Paris Paralympics Games in September 2024, for which she is preparing with total dedication.
Through the storytelling of her rebirth after the motorcycle accident, the author intends to explore that distinctly human attitude of not resigning oneself in the face of unfavourable adversities, always striving to conquer the freedom to soar beyond obstacles, exactly like a butterfly.