Disabled Peruvian citizen hiking from Boston to Miami.
By: Jennifer Potash
Neither rain nor rude drivers nor bad roads seem to stop Julio Montoya on his walk from Boston to Miami this summer. Nor is he slowed by a major physical disability that makes his long-distance trek stand out as a major achievement of the spirit.
Mr. Montoya, 36, who lost his right leg to a land mine while working on a road construction project in his native Peru five years ago, is walking down the East Coast to promote awareness that one’s life isn’t diminished by a disability.
Carrying a large pole festooned with an American flag and smaller flags from towns along his journey, Mr. Montoya took a break from his 1,500-mile walk Thursday afternoon at Princeton Borough Hall. He had hoped to meet with Mayor Joseph O’Neill, but the mayor was away on vacation.
Borough Administrator Robert Bruschi gave Mr. Montoya an enamel pin with the borough’s logo and Deputy Borough Clerk Delores Stevenson brought him a bottle of cold water.
While his supporters and Princeton Borough officials tried to help him secure housing for the night, Mr. Montoya spoke with reporters.
His mission is simple, he said to encourage people not to be bowed by personal adversity and serve as a reminder that a physical disability doesn’t end one’s life.
"I want to inspire the world," he said.
He weathered personal and financial hardships including the breakup of his marriage and loss of his house in the wake of the accident, he said. Still, Mr. Montoya is exhilarated to be alive and active.
After the initial hazy and painful days following his accident, which also damaged his left leg, Mr. Montoya said he believes he was given a second chance in life.
"Sometimes you are lucky enough to cross a border in this world another time," he said. "This is a second chance and I want to broaden people’s minds."
He first came to America following his injury for treatment at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, where he learned English from medical students in exchange for teaching them Spanish.
He returned to Johns Hopkins in April to attend the medical school graduation and decided he didn’t want to waste the remaining six months on his visa, which expires in October.
This is not Mr. Montoya’s first long-distance walk. Last year, he spent over five months walking 1,864 miles across Ecuador, Peru and Chile.
In an amazing feat, he completed that journey on a homemade artificial leg that caused him much pain. Johns Hopkins provided him with a new prosthesis, he said.
Not everyone has been so receptive to Mr. Montoya’s efforts. A driver on a bridge as he left New York City yelled at him to get off the road.
But he said the vast majority of Americans he has met on the journey were far more helpful, offering food and shelter.
The Nassau Inn provided a room for Mr. Montoya. While he politely declines a car ride, he doesn’t mind people walking with him.
"My story is for everybody," he said.
While driving home from work, Joseph Hartigan, 24, of Yardley, Pa., noticed Mr. Montoya walking on Route 27 on his way to Princeton and curiosity compelled him to stop.
"I knew he had a story to tell me," said Mr. Hartigan, who walked a few miles with Mr. Montoya and helped him with directions for the next part of the trip between Trenton and Philadelphia.
To follow Mr. Montoya on his journey, visit his Web site at www.caminoalfuturo.org.