Michelangelo Gautschi - science and sports enthusiast
RESC: Michelangelo, how do you usually introduce yourself when you meet someone new?
Michelangelo Gautschi (MG): I usually introduce myself as a “Master’s student in medical technology” because I strongly identify with my education. Aside from that, I see myself as an “inquisitive person”. This term encompasses both my passion for science and for exploring nature (e.g. freediving and hiking).
RESC: What is your “superpower”?
MG: My superpower is being able to concentrate for hours on something that interests me. I also have the ability to get into a handstand from a sitting position.
RESC: What are people without physical limitations most amazed about when they meet you?
MG: That I walk up steep stairs and slopes with my crutches faster and apparently with less effort than they do.
RESC: In what situations do you feel “dis-abled” (in the sense of restricted, or prevented from doing something) in society and/or in your everyday life?
MG: When I am out and about with my crutches, and situations come up where I have to carry something, I feel particularly restricted. For example, when I have to take my plate to the table in the canteen and I have to ask strangers if they can help me. It makes me feel uncomfortable that I am failing at such an everyday, simple task and on top of that I have to ask strangers for help.
On the other hand, when I use a wheelchair (which is usually the case in the lab, for example), I feel restricted when I get stuck at heavy doors because I have trouble opening them from the chair. It’s especially difficult when I am carrying an object at the same time
RESC: What is your greatest wish for the future?
MG: For the future, I would like to see assistive technologies advanced to the point where people with disabilities no longer have to be at a disadvantage (both in everyday life and at work). In order to achieve this goal, I believe it is essential to encourage and support participation and access to research for people with disabilities.
Bio
Michelangelo Gautschi lost his left leg in a motorcycle accident. Since then, he has alternated between crutches, a wheelchair and a prosthetic leg to tackle everyday life. After rehabilitation, he studied Health Sciences and Technology with a focus on medical technology at ETH Zurich. Having grown up near Lake Maggiore, he is particularly drawn to water. He likes sports such as kayaking, swimming and freediving best: “In the water, my disability is irrelevant. This is most obvious when I’m freediving; there I enjoy the freedom of being able to move in all directions without any restrictions. It almost feels like flying.” Michelangelo is an athlete on land, too: in fitness training and on short hikes. When he wants to rest his body and unwind, he likes to spend time on his PlayStation or devote himself to drawing and modelling sculptures.
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Miriam Daepp of the Competence Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Science (RESC) spoke with Michelangelo Gautschi in October 2021.
