Article by CLARISSA BURT AND MARY L. HOLDEN
Problem and ability. These two English words met their Italian counterparts (problema and capacità) in the body of Giuseppina ‘Giusy’ Versace sometime after August 22, 2005. Prior to meeting fate on a rain-slick motorway in southern Italy, Giusy worked as a manager for a high-end fashion company (not Versace, although Gianni, Donatella, and Santo are cousins). She was on her way to see a client when the rented automobile she was driving smashed into the concrete median. Her injuries necessitated amputation of both legs below the knee. With strong determination to recover her health and well-being, she won a personal injury lawsuit, was fitted for prosthetics, and took every step possible towards her new life. She says although the accident ended one segment of her time on Earth, it gave her “many new opportunities.” In the 16 years after the car accident, Giusy Versace: Image courtesy of Giusy Versace Became a Paralympic athlete as a runner who competed in 100, 200, and 400-meter events, even though she was not an athlete in her earlier years Was elected to a seat in Parliament as a member of Italy’s Forza party Founded Disability No Limits, a charitable foundation that supports the playing of sports by disabled children Took a position as an ambassador for Save the Dream, a national project of the Qatar Olympic Committee that promotes sports for youth Was a competitor on Italy’s version of “Dancing with the Stars,” and won Wrote and published two books—an autobiography and a book for children Became a sports journalist on Italian television The opportunity to interview Giusy Versace on a video conference call was interesting. We discovered that she is a person who generates the incandescent light of faith and optimism. What we noticed—and will remember forever—is the way she smiled her way through all these questions while giving us answers in tones of joy. ITL: Of all your careers, which one brought you the greatest satisfaction? Versace: This is not easy to answer because even though they all offered challenge, each brought opportunities for joy. After the accident, while still working in the fashion industry, I had to fight to keep my position. The name Versace was not an advantage! After four years, I stopped fighting, started expanding. I decided to become a dancer, and a runner. It was at that time I participated in “Dancing with the Stars.” ITL: How did you come to terms with using prostheses? Versace: When I had the accident, I was 28 years old. I saw my family suffer, especially my mother. My accident was a terrible moment for her. I’m not a parent myself, so I cannot exactly imagine how she felt. I realized that my love of challenge inspired me to make the people I love, and who love me, be happy. So, I worked hard to make myself better, and part of that was using the prostheses. Someone told me that I would never be able to run and that’s what made me decide to run. When I run, I feel alive…the prosthesis is not part of it…when I run, I feel as if I can take on the world! I never thought I would go to the Paralympic games, but I kept showing up and doing my best. Sometimes, wearing prostheses is painful. I needed to do a lot of work and training to keep my thigh muscles strong and maintain balance. However, the joy of running is greater than the pain. ITL: Were there significant moments in your path of healing? Versace: Yes, but at first, I did ask, “Why me?” In 2014, I visited Lourdes in France to express gratitude for my life to Mary, the Holy Mother. I cried while thinking again, “Why me?” but I heard a voice say, “Why not you?” When I told my mother about the experience, she said, “Maybe God chose you because you have a great mission.” Life is not easy for women in the first place, and a woman’s legs are a part of her femininity. As a woman with prostheses, there are times when they hurt, and I want to throw them out the window! But then, I’m able to find the joke, the humor. My best moment—perhaps ever—was at the 2015 Carnevale in Venice. It includes an act known as Volo dell’Aquila [Flight of the Eagle]. I was the person, dressed as the eagle, and I dropped from the bell tower in flight. As I flew, I cried tears of happiness because I knew then that I could walk, run, dance…and fly. ITL: How did you meet, navigate, and find success with the challenges you undertook after the accident? Versace: Preparing for “Dancing with the Stars” was difficult. I trained daily—day and night. It felt incredible to win! After I wrote my autobiography in 2015 (Con la Testa e Con il Cuore Si Va Ovunque or, With Your Head and Heart You Go Everywhere) my story was adapted for theater. It was amazing to see my story being told on a stage. Then, in 2018 I wrote WonderGiusy for children because the idea came from a child who’d watched me in training for the Paralympics. He told me I was his “superhero” and asked questions about my prosthetic legs. I love a challenge, and right now I’m focused on three things: the Disability No Limits foundation to support ways in which children with disabilities can choose sports to find opportunities for growth and joy; supporting the Centro Sportivo Esercito, the sport section of Italy’s military forces, formed in 1960 after Rome hosted the Olympics; and fighting for equal opportunities for women and the disabled. I study culture and economics, especially funding, to rise above politics and make a better world for all people. ITL: You’ve inspired many people. Who inspires you? Versace: After professional Formula One race car driver Alex Zanardi was injured in a race in Germany in 2001, he came back to racing after working with designers to fashion prostheses for his legs. Later, he became a paracyclist and was voted Best Male Athlete at the Paralypmic Games in 2012. I also admire the co-founder of Adaptive Action Sports, Amy Purdy. Amy is a para-snowboarder who won two medals in her sport at two separate Paralympics. A dancer, she competed and placed second in Season 18 of the American version of “Dancing with the Stars.” All people who overcome personal challenges to participate in the kinds of activities that bring them joy are ones who inspire me. ITL: What are you looking forward to in the near future? Versace: In early November, I’ll be going to New York for the Italian American Sports Foundation’s event to raise funds for the Traveling Tour Initiative, “Together for Sport,” that will begin in the spring of 2022 in Italy. “Together for Sport” will allow those who wish to play sports to learn about prosthesis technology and adaptive-use sporting equipment (such as wheelchairs for basketball, angled oars for paddle boards, ramps for bowling, and gliders for ice skating). Although the accident turned her life upside down, Giusy says, “I never lost hope.” Gratitude for every “new opportunity” and deep faith has been her formula for healing and achieving her successes. “Before the accident, I used to choose my shoes. Now I choose my legs. I love my life!”
