A different perspective to translate a shared, painfully unhappy experience into a world of strong, nuanced, and finally happy sensations. This is the story of Chiara Bordi , 25, and Chiara Valerio , 26, Roman by adoption but of Sardinian origins, who overcame their motor disabilities by walking the Santa Barbara Mining Trail . Two truly special pilgrims. In fact, both lost the use of a leg due to a terrible accident (Chiara Bordi in 2013, Chiara Valerio in 2018), and doctors required prosthetics. Two inseparable friends who met on Instagram, sharing their experiences following the accident.
"After the accident, when I recovered," says Chiara Bordi, "I felt the need to share my experience on social media, and I met Chiara on Instagram. We immediately bonded, sharing memories, impressions, and our deepest feelings, and we decided to meet up to get to know each other in person."
The two girls didn't yet live in Rome. Chiara Bordi lived in Tarquinia, near the capital, where she had meanwhile found a job designing prosthetics. Chiara Valerio, on the other hand, lived in Parma, where she was studying speech therapy. After graduating, she moved to Rome, where she completed a master's degree that allowed her to work with children with autism spectrum disorder.
And where she was finally able to hug her friend. "Our friendship represents a great strength," Chiara Valerio confides, "and has been the foundation of many projects. We wanted to travel to distant and fascinating countries." From Chile to Norway, passing through the dream of walking the Santa Barbara Mining Trail , in Sulcis Iglesiente, starting from Iglesias.
Thus, once they arrived at Elmas airport, this great adventure began. At the Fondazione del Cammino Minerario in Iglesias, the two girls were able to count on everyone's full cooperation. And to overcome the objective difficulties along the way, they had only two weapons at their disposal: courage and their inseparable trekking poles. The first stage, Iglesias-Nebida, was the most strenuous, as the two young hikers recount: "A little challenging, but probably because we started the journey immediately after our arrival, without hesitation and under the sun, but then we progressed quickly, overcoming the difficulties. We also found the inns where we stopped welcoming, with kind and special people willing to help us with our every need. Along the way, we shared our experiences, our fears, but also our deepest hopes ."
The route was followed to perfection in the four stages between Iglesias and Buggerru over five days. It followed the miners' paths, the route that winds through Sulcis Iglesiente, Guspinese, and Arburese. In Nebida, the wind was strong, but the sun shone brightly, overlooking the Gulf of Lion, along narrow, winding, and steep paths. "Breathtaking, enchanting landscapes," the two young pilgrims recount. "We overcame our mobility difficulties thanks to our determination, but above all, thanks to the immense beauty of these places."
A love for Sardinia that has deep roots. Chiara Bordi's father is from Ogliastra, originally from Lanusei. Chiara Valerio's father is from northern Sardinia, from Sassari, and her great-grandfather was a miner who worked in the Carbonia mine.
A journey through mines, sea, and forests, and yet through history, culture, and the environment. But above all, a journey that carries with it the flavor of a challenge successfully overcome by the two young pilgrims. "There's a message we want to convey," they emphasize. "We've discovered that when you go through painful experiences, as we did, a strength is born that we aren't aware of , and only when we put ourselves to the test, we face a challenge, is this the motivation to never give up." Chiara Bordi explains: "The most beautiful journey is returning home to share with those we love, and with those in need, our experiences and the great life lessons that these places and their people have taught us."