Luiz Thadeu, the Brazilian Who Turned His Crutches into “Wings” to Travel the World

Luiz Thadeu Nunes calls his story “I Made Wings from Crutches.” The Brazilian agronomist and journalist recently visited Asunción during one of his many journeys around the world, bringing a message of daily reinvention.

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I made wings from crutches.

Nunes, who comes from São Luís de Maranhão, suffered a serious car accident in 2003 while traveling in a taxi. He could not walk for five years and underwent 43 surgeries. He now walks with the support of crutches.

“Traveling was the way I found to reposition myself in the world,” Nunes said. He began traveling without sponsorship and has visited 162 of the 195 countries in the world, according to his account. This year alone, he has been to Canada, the United States and Mexico, and he plans to travel to Europe and Africa in October.

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Traveling was the way I found to reposition myself in the world.

Nunes says travel has given him the chance to meet different people and write about them and the world around him. He plans trips well in advance and looks for cheap tickets. Although he speaks only three words of English, he says that has not stopped him from communicating with people of different nationalities.

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You have to reinvent yourself every day.

He also gives talks at hospitals, universities and other venues. Recalling the five years when he could not walk, he said he “only had the will to make it alive to the next day.” His advice is to avoid being defeated by unexpected problems and to reinvent oneself every day. His book gathers his personal history and travels, which began with publications in São Luís de Maranhão and São Paulo.

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Having problems in life is inevitable. Letting yourself be defeated by them is optional.