SARA LAZZARI

Introducing myself is always the hardest part for me.

Who are you? You just have to say who you are. There’s so much or so little to say about me, depending on the point of view! Let’s start with the simplest part: I’m Sara, born in 1994. I live in the province of Venice. In life, I do something completely different from what you see on my social channels, where I share my mountain adventures – from hiking to via ferrata to more alpine outings – always with a smile and with the awareness of being a very lucky girl.

I work as an administrative employee in a metalworking company in the province of Padua. A few years ago, my partner Nico and I opened a YouTube channel called "Sara Lazzari", where we share every wonderful day among Dolomite spires and wide mountain meadows.

I like to tell things as they really are and be myself; I laugh and cry without shame, because the emotion you feel when you reach a summit or fulfill a dream doesn’t need to be hidden – it needs to be shared. I’ve never been afraid to show my weaknesses. In fact, in recent years, I’ve also chosen to open up about who I really am, hoping to offer a little emotional support to families and people who, like me, suffer from the same condition.

About eight years ago, I discovered the mountains through my first hikes and quickly fell in love with them so deeply that I wanted to learn more. I attended the mountaineering course with CAI Padova (PD) and the rock climbing course with CAI Mirano (VE).

Little by little, I began tackling more alpine routes, normal routes, and some rock climbs – feeling so alive that my heart exploded with emotion. I met many people, I started to love myself, to trust myself more, and to understand that deep down, I wasn’t so different from others. The past is past, but it shapes us and helps us grow with a broader vision.

As a child, I was told: “You’re a girl with serious asthma problems, you can’t do what others do.” And so I always gave up on everything – I gave up on living. As I grew up, I learned to live with it and manage it as best I could. Living the mountains in all their forms isn’t just a passion – it’s a health necessity for me.

If my past was so dark and painful that it still brings sadness today, there was also a great light that came into my life: the Pio XII Institute in Misurina (BL). From age 12 to 17, I was a patient at the only center in Italy for the treatment and rehabilitation of childhood asthma. My story is long; my life in Misurina holds many of my memories – both good and bad. Sadly, on December 31, 2022, the center was permanently closed due to financial issues caused by a lack of hospitalizations. Since 2019, together with Federasma, other former patients, parents, and all those who care about this place, we have fought and continue to fight for the center’s reopening.

I’ve appeared in many news outlets such as Il Gazzettino, Agenzia Stampa Italia, Il Dolomiti, Corriere delle Alpi, The Bottom Up. On 25/11/2021, I was featured in a podcast with Radio24 titled: "Pazienti in Rete – The story of Sara, a rebirth at 1,756m." I participated in the video campaign “Let’s Breathe – ASTHMA and COPD” and was mentioned in Carlo Budel’s book “5 Stagioni.” I also took part in the “Aware Mountain” initiative promoted by La Sapienza University of Rome.

I’ve chosen to tell my story – my past and who I truly am today – to help others like me feel a little less alone, and maybe even understood.

I don’t want pity or to inspire tenderness – I just want to share the truth and, with even just one word, help that child who looks at me and asks: "Will I ever feel well enough to climb mountains too?"

Who knows what the future holds – for now, I keep sharing my emotions, hoping to pass them on to those who follow me.

The mountains saved me – in every possible way. And without even realizing it, they keep saving me, every single day.

Sara