Andrea Lanfri

  • Date of birth

    Novembre 26th 1986

  • Region

    Toscana

  • Prostheses

    Bilateral amputation of legs under knee

  • Sports discipline

    Athletics and mountain-climbing

  • art4sport member

    Since April 2017

“I want to run faster than meningitis “

Andrea’s story

Andrea was born in Lucca on the 26th of November 1986.

On the 21st of January 2015 he was struck by fulminant meningitis that resulted in the amputation of both legs under knee. After waking up from coma, his first reaction was one of confusion and dismay, but deep down he was happy because he had survived. The strength of mind that never left him, his stubbornness and intense will to revenge against the disease were his trump card, together with the support of his family, friends and medical staff.

Andrea has been practicing athletics from 2016 to 2018 and, after the disease, he returned to climbing and to hiking, a sport he had been practicing since 2012. On the July 2017 he was able to climb a 600-meters wall in Corsica, promise he made to himself while in hospital.

In 2018 he succeeded in conquering the Cima Grande di Lavaredo, passing through “the Dibona corner” and Monte Rosa (4,634 m) and the Chimborazo Volcano 6236m, in Ecuador, thus starting the project: “Touching the sky with three fingers by climbing Everest and all the seven summits. In 2020, he created a project called “From 0 to 0”, a unique, non-stop event combining three different disciplines: running, cycling and mountain. This project involves climbing a mountain starting and returning from sea level. A project never before undertaken by a Paralympic athlete.

His short-term goal is to improve more and more, while in the long term, the most important goal will certainly be the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

Andrea got to know art4sport through some friends and joined the art4sport team in 2017: through the Association he can be supported and he will have the opportunity, through his experience, to help as many people as possible to fully enjoy life, despite the little hiccups that can happen.

Andrea’s sports achievements

  • “From 0 to 0” 1st edition: Alpuane Alps. 60 km by bike to the slope of Monte Pisanino and then climb the Bagola Bianca ridge to reach its peak. Downhill run along the normal route to Lerici (September 2020).
  • Participation in the Pisa half-marathon ending it in just over an hour and a half (October 10th 2020)
  • “Five Peaks2″ project – conquering Italy’s most iconic peaks: Mont Blanc, Matterhorn, Marmolada, Gran Paradiso and Monviso
  • “From 0 to 0” 2nd edition: Mount Etna. 50 km by bike from Aci Trezza to the slope of the mountain. Climb to the top and return to Catania with another 50 km of running (October 2020)

Sara BaldoElisa Spediacci