One Step at a Time: Raffaela achieves her goal
Raffaela and friends, on the way to Blue Lake Hut, Nelson Lakes National Park. Credit: Raffaela Dragani
Our heartfelt congratulations to Raffaela Dragani, who recently completed her inspiring mission: a five-day hike to Blue Lake Hut, Nelson Lakes National Park, with two friends. Raffaela’s incredible persistence has carried her through enormous challenges and enabled her to achieve this amazing goal.
From her childhood until now, hiking in the mountains has been one of Raffaela’s first loves. However, Raffaela’s ability to get outdoors shifted drastically with a diagnosis of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) in 2020 and Parkinson's disease in 2024. The simple act of walking was no longer something she could take for granted, and as her mobility had become unpredictable, Raffaela feared she would no longer be able to hike amongst the mountains. Her independence – the thing that she had once passionately protected – was slipping from her grip.
“You get to rewrite your story. Mine used to be about loss and limitation. Now, it’s about strength. Now, it’s about possibility.”
Yet Raffaela has a strength she knew she could draw on: determination. “Once I set my mind to something, I’m going to do it,” she said. And she did.
The best thing at the worst time
When Mastering Mountains came into Raffaela’s life, she describes it as “the best thing that happened in the worst period of my life.” Her diagnosis of FND in 2020 had compromised her physical abilities in ways she couldn’t have imagined. Her husband had to drop her at the front door of her office, because the 500 metres walk from the carpark was no longer achievable.
Blue Lake, Nelson Lakes National Park. Credit: Raffaela Dragani
This new reality meant that Raffaela couldn’t do one of the things she loves most: hiking. Hiking had always been a deeply meaningful part of her life, a pathway to joy and an avenue for connecting with friends on adventures. Unable to hike, Raffaela felt cut off from these essential, life-giving components of her life. However, that’s when the Mastering Mountains programme came through as a “waterfall of hope”.
Raffaela applied for the Mastering Mountains Expedition Programme, giving her access to neurophysio support, gear and mentoring. As part of her application, she set the goal of hiking to Blue Lake, a long and strenuous five-day mission in the Nelson Lakes National Park. The hike would be long and strenuous, and required concise planning if Raffaela was to achieve it.
Getting a place on the programme meant more than just funding or rehabilitation support – it meant structure, community, and a goal to move toward, carrying her through the enormous rehabilitation journey ahead. Despite her significant physical challenges, Raffaela drew on her strengths: that determined, can-do mindset. “I had to completely reset,” she said, “and rebuild my strength; rebuild my routine; rebuild myself, honestly.”
Supported by a neurophysiologist and personal trainer, and accompanied by a group of loyal friends, Raffaela spent months training her body and mind. She planned her weeks using tramping milestones – achieving a one-night tramp, then a two-night tramp, and so on.
One of these training tramps was to Angelus Hut, planned for December 2023. The trip would be hard. However, as Raffaela began hiking the trail, she began to encounter unexpected, physical symptoms. Her mobility had been compromised in a way she hadn’t experienced before, to the point where she struggled to walk. Turning back from the trip was a low moment for Raffaela. Even more crushing was the neurologist’s confirmation that she had early-onset Parkinson’s only a few months later.
Raffaela and friends. Credit: Raffaela Dragani
Determination in the training journey
Yet Raffaela refused to give up or give in to hopelessness. “I’m a very stubborn person,” she said – a trail that would become essential in a rehabilitation journey that was far from easy.
Training days were long and would often leave her exhausted. She had to discover, understand and find a way to manage her limitations. Her ankle would often collapse, resulted in stopping, sitting, resetting, and trying again: a never-ending process.
While the physical preparation was difficult, the shift in mindset was just as challenging. “I had to let go of the version of myself that never needed help,” she said. “That was the hardest part, admitting I couldn’t do it alone.”
Boundaries became essential to Raffaela, which included no more late nights and no more chaotic schedules. “I go to bed early now. I eat carefully. I don’t go out if it’s going to cost me tomorrow.”
She began drawing, as a practice to rest her nervous system and improve dexterity in her hands, pushing back on the effects of Parkinson’s. She changed how she worked, keeping a careful balance of time in the office office with work-from-home days.
Navigating the rough track to Blue Lake Hut. Credit: Raffaela Dragani
Blue Lake
The trip to Blue Lake, an alpine lake of unparalleled beauty, spanned five days. Raffaela was joined by two close friends who had journeyed with her through the highs and lows that had led up to this point.
The trip was challenging and sometimes had to be adapted. “I had to drop the ego,” she said, “and let my friends carry my pack, change the route, [and] accept that what I could do was enough, even if it didn’t look like the original plan.”
The trip was strenuous, but this is where the strength of Raffaela’s determination shone through. “You can just put one foot in front of the other,” she explained, “even if you’re going to crawl.”
Upon reaching the lake, she experienced a wave of emotions. “It felt like graduating from my Master’s,” she laughed. “But maybe even bigger. Because I know what it cost me to get here.” It was a moment of tears, hugs and joy.
It was also a moment that redefined her beliefs. Her friends, encouraging her, had told Raffaela that they believed she could complete the trip. But now, Raffaela inhabited this belief more firmly and experienced a shift in how she perceived herself. “I used to focus on everything I couldn’t do anymore,” she said. “Now, I see what I can do. And that changes everything.”
Raffaela enjoying her moment at Blue Lake / Rotomairewhenua. Credit: Raffaela Dragani
Now and beyond
Today, Raffaela is still climbing. Not only in the literal sense (although she regularly hikes and has a Great Walk is in her sights), but also in the daily acts of resilience. These include weightlifting to carry a tramping pack easier, building food plans, and attending the gym for the first time in a decade.
From her mission, she’s bringing a deep sense of internal strength – and a different, more hopeful kind of mindset. “I feel confident in my situation now, even if I have Parkisonson’s, even if I have issues and physical struggles,” she said. “I know that I have tools to overcome them and manage them. I know that I can set goals. I know that I have wonderful things to aspire to, and I know there’s so much life to live for and be able to experience.”
Most significantly, she’s learned that she gets to write her own narrative, despite her health challenges. Despite life-altering diagnoses that significantly diminished her sense of personal agency, Raffaela refused to give up and instead forged a new path – one of her choosing.
“Our thoughts aren’t facts,” she told me. “You get to rewrite your story. Mine used to be about loss and limitation. Now, it’s about strength. Now, it’s about possibility.”
The team at Mastering Mountains would like to express their heartfelt thanks to the sponsors who made this programme possible:
Rab for supplying clothing
MitoQ for a supply of their antioxidant supplement
Southern Approach for supplying equipment
Thank you, too, to all those who have supported and encouraged Raffaela along the way.
