Valdobbiadene, Michele’s challenge: “I will walk two thousand kilometers against multiple sclerosis”

Discovering the disease, he threw off the crutches. His “Viaggio da sclero” will start on May 1st in Valdobbiadene, arriving in August in Santa Maria di Leuca, in Puglia

VALDOBBIADENE. Seven regions to cross, 87 stages, 2,000 kilometers on foot, to be stronger than multiple sclerosis. Michele Agostinetto’s is truly “A journey from the sclero”. The 44-year-old Valdobbiadenese has planned a trip from his father’s land, Valdobbiadene, to his mother’s land in Puglia, up to Santa Maria di Leuca.

«In March 2020, I began to have the first symptoms. I couldn’t stand, I couldn’t see well, I lost 10 kilos in 15 days », says Michele. He, a shopkeeper with a telephony and IT business in town, had never had any health problems. “After a month they did the CT scan, hospitalized in Castelfranco and, after various tests, it was discovered that it is multiple sclerosis”. For a year Michele was practically blocked, unable to move. “On April 30th I threw off the crutches, my girlfriend asked me ‘What are you doing?’ – says the forty year old -. In reality, I couldn’t stand still anymore, on May 1st I started alone and I covered a hundred meters here outside the house ».

The first goal was to do a kilometer, with the muscles in difficulty. But since then Michele Agostinetto has regained strength, and now reaches 15 kilometers a day. «Thus the idea was born of sensitizing people to get up from the sofa, to be able to try – he-he adds. Since my mother is from Puglia, and I realized that I could walk, I decided to plan this trip on foot from Valdobbiadene, where my father was born. It will be the path of my life ». The undertaking, scheduled for May 1st to August 22nd, has the patronage of the Municipality of Valdobbiadene, the Unesco Hills Association, the European Via Francigene Association. Yesterday it was promoted and relaunched with a post on Facebook also by the president of Veneto, Luca Zaia. “This is a not insignificant challenge, with the aim of letting the people he encounter along the way know the courage – wrote Zaia -, the same that pushed him to challenge fate and his illness, visiting places never seen before and enjoying the simplest, and therefore the most important, aspects of life ».

The Valdobbiadenese will be alone to complete the entire route, but many have already given their support to participate in some stages. The website www.unviaggiodasclero.it has been opened and there is an online fundraiser. “I have already had some help, I have decided to donate everything that will remain to the Aism, the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Association”. «I made two calves that I didn’t even have when I was young – he smiles -. We have to “take it home”, not just for me but for many other people. Nobody knows why multiple sclerosis occurs, they can understand. Let’s get up from the sofa, let’s walk. Let’s leave work aside and think about what matters ».