“If I hadn’t risked dying and if I hadn’t lost my legs, maybe I would have put a whole life to learn so many things and, if I had a magic wand and a single desire to express, one thing is certain: I … I would never go back!”. With this very powerful phrase, Giusy Versace closed the ’20 years of new life ‘spectacle at the civic arena of Reggio Calabria, snatching a very long standing ovation, and many tears of emotion, to the large audience who came to listen to it. 20 years have passed since that terrible 22 August 2005, when Giusy Versace’s legs flew to the sky on the Salerno-Reggio Calabria motorway, following a very bad car accident. An anniversary that Giusy has always wanted to celebrate together with her family to toast to life, but which this year wanted to share with her fellow citizens on a special evening open to the public at the civic arena ‘Ciccio Francò, the spectacular amphitheater overlooking the Strait, with the lights of the city of Messina to be the background. To accompany her in these two hours of travel between emotions and memories, were the actor and director Edoardo Sylos Labini who led the entire talk with interviews to Giusy and his guests and the songwriter and musician Daniele Stefani, who musically accompanied the evening, amplifying the emotions with the melodic sound of his guitar and his deep voice.
There were three guests who left their mark in Giusy’s life like Andrea Giannini, the athletics coach who led her to obtain 11 Italian titles, a European silver and bronze and the participation in the final on the 200 meters in the Paralympics of Rio de Janeiro in 2016; Raimondo Todaro, the dancer with whom he won the tenth edition of ‘Ballando con le Stelle’ and finally Roberto Occhiuto, the president of the Calabria region who accompanied by the hand of Giusy in the world of politics, supporting it in all his battles in Parliament in favor of the disabled and sport. In these 20 years, in addition to running, dancing, writing books and doing politics, Giusy has also founded the disabled No Limits, a charity association that raises funds to give sports prostheses (and not only) to advanced technology, not covered by the Italian health system, to people with disabilities who have the desire to start a new life path. Together with his association, Giusy for several years also organized the solidarity race in Reggio Calabria Happy Run and Happy Run for Christmas and on the occasion last night another much loved and great friend of the Versace who died in 2019 was also remembered: the comic actor Giacomo Battaglia, always present at every initiative.
The evening was also enriched by the performance of the dancer Samuela Piccolo from the Profession Dance school, in which Giusy took his first steps at just 3 years and from the grand finale: Giusy and Raimondo’s Quick Step. The mayor of Reggio Calabria Giuseppe Falcomatà were also present who opened the evening with the welcome greeting by the cities and then the Undersecretary of State Relations with the Matilde Siracusano Parliament, the Senator Tilde MinaSi, the Quaestor Salvatore La Rosa, the provincial commander of the carabinieri Gen. Cesario Totaro, the Colonel Agostino Tortora representing the provincial commander of the Guardia di Finanza and the captain of the Italo Infanti Guardia di Finanza. “Every year, on the occasion of August 22, I brindle life together with my family and closest children to whom I was tied up, but this year I was pleased to celebrate in my hometown together with my fellow citizens because, even if I have no longer lived in Reggio Calabria for many years now, I always carry it in the heart. Last night, together with Edoardo, Daniele and Raimondo we tried to unite the shows of my autobiography. The heart goes ovunqué to interviews with people who have had a particular meaning in my second life, such as my coach Andrea Giannini, Raimondo Todaro, Daniele Stefani and his friend Roberto Occhiuto.
“I want to thank that he allowed me to organize this evening, from the mayor Falcomatà to all the sponsors and friends who helped me in this company, to my brother Domenico who is a fundamental presence in my life, my boyfriend Antonio, my large and wonderful family and the many people who shared with us this special evening. Last, but certainly not less important, Edoardo Sylos Labini, who knew how to guide me. Here he was important next to me.