Miami – Salvatore Cimmino continues incessantly his training, swimming 20 to 22 kilometers each day in open waters. The 51-year-old Finmeccanica employee, a native of Torre Annunziata, in mid-September will attempt to cross the stretch of sea that separates Cuba and Florida while swimming. The sensational enterprise is even more extraordinary when considering that we’re talking about a man who lived for more than 15 years with only one leg. Salvatore left Italy for Miami in mid-February, where he still has six months of hard training. He will then be ready to leave the beaches that enchanted Hemingway to swim in a particularly difficult stretch of sea and finally arrive in Florida. The enterprise will take 72 hours – 170 kilometers, non-stop – with the reintegration of lost minerals as his only lifeline. Right now, Salvatore is balancing his intense training sessions with meetings with the authorities to raise awareness. “I’m trying to attract the attention of local institutions on issues related to disability. My mission – explains Cimmino – is a way to represent the wishes and needs of those who cannot express them. I swim to overcome barriers, not only the physical ones, but also those that prevent people with disabilities from embracing inclusive lifestyles. On April 17 – continues Cimmino – I will take part in an open-sea competition organized by the American Federation of distance swimming, the Miami Swim 2016. It’s an important test for me, I’ll have to swim for 10 km with industry professionals. So far, the enthusiasm around here is still high, and both local institutions and the Italian community are supporting the initiative.” (9Colonne)
