Did you see the athlete swimming in Boston Harbor past the North End on Saturday? It was Italian amputee swimmer, Salvatore Cimmino, on the final leg of a 16-mile swim to prove that the physically disabled can do amazing things.
The 7-hour swim started at UMass Boston and continued out to the Boston Harbor Islands before returning back to the inner harbor, past the North End, and finishing at the Charlestown Navy Yard.
Salvatore lost most of his right leg when he was just 14 years old. Now, at age 48, he is doing long distance swimming around the globe to raise awareness regarding the rights of the disabled in Italy and around the world. The effort is sponsored by many Italian-related organizations as well as academic institutions, including MIT, and local supporters including the North End’s Filippo Frattaroli. See the “Swimming in the Seas of the Globe” journey on his website.
At the end of the swim, a large group celebrated with Salvatore at Filippo’s Ristorante in the North End.
Read more on Bostoniano.info and thanks to Nicola Orichuia for sharing this incredible story. The following video of the swim was produced by Nicola Orichuia with footage by Marialberto Mensa and photos by Rosario Scabin.
