Our project: InSuperAbily
When running becomes a right. For everyone.
It all started almost by chance. It was 2018, and six children from the Orizzonte Autonomia Foundation ETS were taking part in their first running race, the Conero Running in Numana. It was supposed to be an experiment, a “pilot” event, but it became a moment of revelation.
The emotion that filled that day – amidst applause, smiles, and teary eyes – clearly showed that sport could truly be a bridge. This is how InSuperAbily was born, a project that has made running a powerful metaphor for participation, freedom, and shared joy.
At its core is a simple yet revolutionary idea: giving children with disabilities the chance to be there, to run fast, to cross natural trails, to feel the wind on their faces, and to experience a finish line greeted by cheering spectators.
Driving them – but also supporting, guiding, and accompanying them – are the volunteer runners, led by Gionata Ferrini and Mirco Lucarini. Alongside them are their families, the families of the children, and a community of volunteers that has grown race after race.
InSuperAbily is not just a sports project. It is a community in motion, a network that grows around a new idea of normality. The children are not spectators: they are the protagonists.
Thanks to special wheelchairs – Unirollers for running, joëlettes for trails – they experience each event as a real experience: learning to use the equipment, participating in races, feeling the strength of the group, receiving applause. And that applause is never for pity: it is for the strength, courage, and beauty of sharing.
The volunteers are much more than just ‘pushers.’ They are companions on the journey. They share effort, emotion, and pride. They learn to be beside someone with care, to adapt to another’s pace, and to listen and support without intruding. And between one race and another, deep friendships are formed, spontaneous support networks that last well beyond a single outdoor event.
Every event is special: city marathons, forest trails, walks along the seafront. Wherever they go, InSuperAbily brings color, smiles, and energy. Bright T-shirts, balloons, and handmade signs are visible signs of a celebration.
But the real change is invisible: it happens in the eyes of the audience, who gradually shift their perspective. It happens in the children, who feel included. It happens in the parents, who allow themselves a day of lightness, and sometimes, of pure happiness.
InSuperAbily has an impact that goes beyond the sporting dimension. Every participation in a race is an opportunity to raise awareness among thousands of spectators, who discover a new normal and the multifaceted nature of disability.
Find out how to help us, your contribution can make a difference
