On a midsummer’s day, I came across the umpteenth news of a boy who will be paralyzed, if he is lucky, due to a fall while he was trying to jump off a running train by taking a selfie.

Let’s face it: I don’t think Red Bull is responsible for this incident, but I am convinced that all such companies (Red Bull, Monster, etc.) should work and invest more to make young people aware of the risks they could encounter in an attempt to emulate the idolized and sponsored extreme heroes.

As it is known, these multinationals have made their fortune by sponsoring the most incredible companies of the human race, thus associating their brand with the so-called extreme and riskiest sports possible, but what’s the price?

I remember the SECTOR NO LIMITS campaign in the 90s: the Sector company, with an excellent marketing strategy, followed and sponsored this trend that was born and began to make talk about EXTREME SPORTs with no limits.

But please don’t call them “extreme sports”: while appreciating the athletic gesture and the skill of the individual, the only thing you want to win is a race against death … I love the adrenaline and that feeling that it can give, but a sport, as dangerous as it may be, always respects safety rules and tries to minimize risks as much as possible.

The “EXTREME STUPIDITY” this would be the correct name for the Train Surfing or Building Climbing. The guys seek the maximum risk by challenging death to show the group their value, they share the video of the deed to finally feel like someone in the world.

It is absolutely clear that companies cannot be responsible for this type of events and for this lack of values ​​in the new generations, but being aware means becoming aware of the fact that if you invest money on a guy who jumps over a river as if there were no tomorrow, without any security except to not survive in case of error, this will inevitably lead other guys to follow him and / or overcome him.

I know I am a voice out of the chorus (maybe I will be judged as an old bigot), but 20 years of wheelchair and the work I do, always in constant contact with the disability, have taught me that there are limits and you need to pay a hard price if you want to exceed them, with consequences that will last a lifetime (if you’re lucky!).

We adults, together with big responsible companies, have the obligation to teach the new generations the importance of human life, because no selfie will ever repay the risk of losing one’s life in a stupid way.