“No excuses, no limits.” That’s the philosophy behind everything that Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli lives by every day. Born with arthrogryposis, a rare muscle disorder that limits motion in the joints, Luca has never let his condition slow him down. Last week, Luca paid a special visit to the campers at Camp Manitou, where he displayed some of his signature moves and, more importantly, inspired the kids to go after their dreams, no matter what the obstacles might seemingly be.
In his wildly received presentation, Luca talked frankly to the campers about what it’s like to live with his condition, and how he embraced his physical—and mental—challenges when he became interested in dancing, adapting the art to create something completely unique to himself, and how the campers can do similar things in their own lives as well. With encouragement from the Manitou crowd, Luca demonstrated a handstand trick he’s been working on, holding it longer during this show than he ever had before. Embracing the high-energy spirit of the night, Luca even got some campers up on-stage to show them some dance tricks!
Calling it “one of the most memorable nights” of his life, Luca can be assured that it was the same—and more—for all of the kids as well.