At 50, amputee athlete finds new life, Paralympic dream in Abu Dhabi

When Italian athlete Massimo Castellani lost his right leg to a rare infection, he thought his life was over.
A competitive athlete, the 50-year-old had spent a decade playing American football across Europe, training hard, travelling, and chasing victories on the field.
Then, in one moment, everything changed.

It began with a tick bite. During a trip to Germany’s Black Forest in late 2023, Massimo was bitten by what doctors later identified as a Rocky Mountain Tick. Nine months later, his leg began to swell and ache with unbearable pain.
“The infection spread deep into the bone. The doctors tried everything, but antibiotics no longer worked,” he recalled.

When the infection reached the bone and his lungs developed pneumonia, doctors had to make a life-saving decision: amputation above the knee.
“I woke up without a leg. For the first time in my life, I felt powerless.”

What followed was a long and dark chapter. Alone, unmarried, and unable to work, Massimo sank into depression.
“I stopped seeing people. I didn’t want anyone to look at me like I was broken. I thought my life was finished, so I gave away most of my money and things to charity.”

But, his friends refused to give up on him. They reminded him of who he had been, a competitor, a fighter, a man who lived for the game.
“They said, ‘Massimo, you were an athlete. You know how to start again’,” he said.

Those words changed everything. Massimo turned to sports once more, this time from a wheelchair. He took up archery, air rifle, fencing, and sitting volleyball, finding a sense of peace and purpose again.

His precision with the rifle soon caught the attention of others, and now he dreams of representing Italy in the Paralympic Games.
“When I hold the rifle, I feel strong again. I am competing for something, for life.”

Despite his determination and return to sport, the pain from using a traditional socket prosthetic often held him back.
“It caused wounds, skin irritation, and I couldn’t train the way I wanted to.”
That changed when he learned about osseointegration surgery. He is one of the beneficiaries of the ‘10 Journeys Initiative’, a humanitarian programme led by Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, Founder and Chairman of Abu Dhabi-based Burjeel Holdings. The initiative offers 10 free advanced osseointegration prosthetic surgeries for amputees who have lost limbs due to reasons including trauma, illness or conflict.

Performed at the Al Muderis Osseointegration Clinic at Burjeel Medical City in Abu Dhabi, under the care of world-renowned orthopaedic surgeon Prof. Dr Munjed Al Muderis, the surgery anchors a titanium implant directly to the bone, providing greater comfort and mobility.

Massimo travelled to Abu Dhabi for the procedure – an experience he calls “the beginning of a new life.”
“For the first time in a long time, I can walk without pain. It feels like getting a piece of myself back. The team at Burjeel treated me with such kindness and warmth, and I’m truly grateful.”

Today, Massimo is rebuilding not only his body but also his spirit. He trains daily, setting his sights on the Paralympic air rifle and sitting volleyball events. He believes that standing on the world stage again, even on one leg, would be the ultimate victory over the darkness that once consumed him.

“I lost everything once, but life gave me another chance. If I make it to the Paralympics, it will not just be for me. It will be for everyone who thinks their story is over. Because it is never over,” Massimo added.