Rafael Teixeira, a resident of the Volta Grande 1 neighborhood in Volta Redonda (RJ), started a journey that he describes as a major test of his personal endurance. He intends to cover approximately 150 kilometers to the National Sanctuary of Aparecida, located in the Vale do Paraíba region of São Paulo state. This walk will be undertaken using only a pair of crutches and without any form of vehicle support or support team. The start of this solitary pilgrimage took place last Wednesday, the 30th.
With a following of over 14 thousand on social media, where he usually shares his training and motivational messages, the athlete plans to complete the entire route in a period of ten days, maintaining an average daily distance of 15 kilometers along the margins of the Via Dutra.
The drastic change in his routine occurred on the night of March 10, 2010. At that time, Rafael was balancing his Law studies at a private college with his job at the Municipal Prosecutor's Office of Barra Mansa. Around 10 PM, while driving home on a motorcycle, he was the victim of a serious traffic accident near the Ponte Alta neighborhood.
Rafael recalled the moment saying: 'I even say: from suit and tie I went to diapers in seconds.' This incident marked the beginning of a cycle of treatments that lasted fifteen years. To try to prevent the loss of his left leg, he underwent twenty-seven surgical procedures and was hospitalized for consecutive months. His health deteriorated with three serious diagnoses of osteomyelitis, which is a bacterial infection affecting bone structure. Eventually, amputation became inevitable and was performed on Christmas Eve 2024.
He shared his experience, stating: 'I was bedridden for 27 periods, used diapers, and kept looking at the white ceiling and talking to God asking to recover my autonomy and freedom to walk without depending on others.' After the procedures, rehabilitation gained a new momentum through physical activity. Rafael even moved to São Paulo to practice Paralympic sports, such as seated volleyball and weightlifting, but returned to his region due to the high cost of living in the São Paulo capital. In Volta Redonda, he adapted to street running using crutches.
He managed to find a way to remain involved in the sports community. His rapid evolution allowed him to complete the 21 kilometers of the Rio Half Marathon in 2025, just one year after the surgery. Currently, the challenge towards Aparecida represents the consolidation of this recovery process. The athlete faces this journey alone, viewing it as a retreat to celebrate the independence he regained and to transmit hope to other people going through difficult times.
Upon completion, he expressed: 'Besides each step with crutches on this pilgrimage being a personal sacrifice and spiritual retreat of thanks to God and Our Lady of Aparecida, I hope that through sharing I can help people who are facing problems with their own mental health. God's mission in my life is also to impact others, inspire, generate attitude transformation.'