My name is Baraldi Matteo.
September 6 th 1999, while I was being to the guide of my motorbike, cause the bad maintenance of a road, I has slipped and, ending violently against a guard rail had been leaving for carelessness for years completely deformed and turned as a blade toward the roadway, I have suffered the instant amputation of the right arm to the height of the third superior of the humerus.
After a week of room reanimation and about twenty days of refuge in the hospital have surprisingly recovered in fast way and I are now well decidedly.
Since child I have always dreamt to practise the motorcycling to competitive level and before the accident I was activating me to make it concrete.
This "stop" forced and the loss of the arm they have not made me lose heart.
In the center for the experimentation and application of prosthesis and orthopedic garrisons of Vigorso of Budrio (BO), only in Europe, to be furnished some prosthesis that I daily use, have seen that the center actively dealt him with experimentation and realization of sporting prosthesis. (Also Alex Zanardi has been in this institute)
Ascertaining that prosthesis was built with materials and really innovative technologies for any sporting discipline, to also practise to competitive level, I have thought to a prosthesis for the motorcycling-speed.
My proposal has been welcomed with enthusiasm and in collaboration with physicians, engineers and technicians of the center they have been realized and furnished a certified specific prosthesis in the respect of the standards of quality foreseen by the certification ISO 9001 from the Technical Manager of the center Ing. Sacchetti.
The prosthesis, that is therefore a prototype, develops the function of alone estate of the right semi-handlebar in acceleration, when I brake, in the pieges and in the various situations where it serves the control of the limb. The prosthesis is articulated and it can make the movements of a normal arm: it has the hand with the closed fingers for the taking and the thumb that it opens and it closes, an untied wrist, the movement of the elbow and rotations of forearm and arm. It has its maximum effectiveness and correct operation when it grasps the right semi-handlebar and strength is engraved him that acts on the movements related to the guide, from the muscular part of the pectoral, shoulder and from the part of true arm. In case of fall automatically with the torsion the hand leaves the handle grip (already experimented in track with positive result).
Adding further economic efforts I have purchased a motorbike Aprilia RS 250 and with simple adaptations effected by my friend mechanical Nicola Padovan, it consistent in to move to the left the accelerator and the lever of the anterior brake and to apply a safety disk to the extremity of the right handle grip in material plastic with function of lock for the hand, I have adjusted her to my new demands. I use a rapid gas racing, it has been used for motorbike 4 times with double command for opening and closing and the part for accordingly the command of closing has been used for the opening. The pomp of the anterior brake has been used his in upside-down way; this is been able to do because the pomp is type with reservoir of the oil with separate tub, it remains for gravity equally in pressure in the pomp. The friction has remained in its position moved under the lever of the brake. In track I use only the friction to depart and to stop me and so for that type of use it is all right; in case also for the friction there are manifold solutions.
To concretely try the new binomial motorbike-pilot I have approached more times in the circuit of Adria (Rovigo) where I hold to specify that I have together found a beautiful reception to a lot of sensibility and understanding towards my situation.
Strongly of the gotten results I have begun a run that is revealed don't deprive of difficulty.
The Motor Club Fontana of Desenzano of the Garda, I was enrolled (this year has finished its activity and I am now enrolled at the Motor Club Leonessa of Brescia) believing in my possibilities, they have forwarded application of visit physician - sporting for the fitness to the competitive practice but the doctor that has submitted me to the first visit, in a great center of Medicine of the Sport in Milan, without motivations and he without keeping in mind of the regulations in force for the specific subject, has sent forth a certificate of "Not Fitness' ".
To this I have immediately made to follow an appeal to the Committee Regionale of appeal of the Region Lombardy but also in this case, after a troubled iter and still without any motivation, negative result is had.
Felt the Italian Motorcycle Federation that in case of physician-sporting fitness they would not have had anything to object around the possibility to develop competitive activity;
felt and acquired the relationship of fitness competitive motorcycling speed of Doctor Italo Guido Ricagni expert doctor in Aeronautical and Spatial Medicine, in Medicine of the Sport, responsible national teams of the F.I.S.D. of the institute of Medicine of the Sport in Rome as well as collaborator to the promulgation of the Decree 4.3.1993 of the Office of the Health (protocol for release competitive sporting fitness to handicapped people);
felt the legal opinion of my lawyer of trust that has decidedly held to be me in the correct one, I have forwarded appeal to the Regional Administrative Court against the decision of the Committee Regionale of appeal.
The T.A.R. showing the correct interest with specific Ordinance has prepared a new medical visit in the Institute of Medicine of the Sport of Sondalo (So, Italy).
This last visit has been effected by the person responsible of the Medicine of the Sport of the hospital of Sondalo (where they look after the athletes of the National one of ski) Doctor Giulio Rossi to which has been furnished also material photographic and visual comprovante the functionality of the prosthesis and the use in circuit of the motorbike with efficient result of the binomial pilot-vehicle.
The Doctor Rossi is shown extremely sensitive to the case, very interested also to the technical and careful aspect to appraise every least detail so much to become himself
available and to come of person some times to the circuit of Adria to effect and to complete his checks.
At the end of all checks, the Doctor Rossi has compiled and transmitted to the T.A.R. a detailed relationship recognizing without reserve some the fitness to the competitive practice of the discipline motorcycling-speed.
The T.A.R. has fully welcomed the appeal sending forth sentence with which my reason has been recognized totally.
Following such action Dr. Giulio Rossi has released the certificate of fitness to the aforesaid sporting activity allowing me so to acquire the licence for the competitions.
With every probability I am first and only person bearer of a prosthesis to which fitness has been released for the motorcycling - speed competitive (licence) and as first objective I would like to find the road for the opportunity to make concrete to take part in the competitions to realize my dream and however not to frustrate how much fact actually to now but also to make me carrier among the disabled persons of the possibility to reapproach him to conditions and situations the most similar possible to the life normal before the accident. Also demolishing the wall of the prejudice in the case of the motorcycling, a concrete help to the reintegration can be given in the life of relationship to the apassionatis of this sport unloading partly the weight of the handicap. To this intention currently I follow for the A.M.I. (Association Unharmed Bikers - www.motociclisti-incolumi.com) of which I have a hand (part), all of this that concerns "the return in saddle" for the people that have had a serious accident as me but they still feel like returning in game in the life as and more before.
Another but not less important objective is that, taking part in competitions, to furnish concrete tests on the possibility to drive a motorcycle with prosthesis and adaptations, to all those people that have title or interest to ask changes to the Code of the Road, as from years ago the ANGLAT (Association National Guide Legislations Andicapati Trasporti) of Rome.
This would allow accordingly also to get patent special for the guide of the motorcycles and to get motorbike adapted and confirmed for the road circulation as it currently happens for the motorcars and to this intention, recently the Office of the Transports has manifested a concrete interest to the novelty, it has modified Code of the Road and the patent special for the guide of the adapted motorcycles will be issued.
This fine and important goal would allow to be in the legality to the a lot of people that, also invalid, they are inclined from the great passion for the motorbike to circular currently in the roads in violation to the C.d.S. taking big risks to legal level and assurance.
With mine great happiness in September 2005 I have taken the driving licence (road) for the motorbike!
I am convinced of the possibility to get of the good results both in circuit and of image in consideration of the oneness and particularity of my case but unfortunately, from this first finishing line, I am not able of the pursuance of my project to make with my only possibilities concrete but necessary helps are made.
I’m looking for people that can be interested to help even me, giving me the possibility to try a competition motorbike to make a will my abilities or also through sponsorships.
Everything this, united to my tenacity, passion and so much desire to do well could concretize him in to participate even in championships of a certain level where I would surely be protected in the best some ways and where the message that I want to bring would have its maximum resonance.