By Victoria Sommer

On June 16, Juliana Fortunato, a track and cross country athlete, was going out for a regular run, that day heading to Caste Village.

But everything changed when she was hit by an SUV at the intersection of Brownsville Road and Route 51 and seriously injured.  Now, with her own determination and support from the Baldwin-Whitehall community, she hopes to run to the top of her sport once again.

Given the severity of her injuries, she already has come a long way.

“I don’t remember any of it happening,” Fortunato said of the accident. “All I remember is waking up in the hospital. I don’t even remember the day before.”

Fortunato suffered from internal and brain bleeding, plus a broken left shoulder, right elbow, and pelvis. She also broke her jaw, and it needed to be wired shut for more than five weeks.

Rich Wright, the Baldwin cross country coach, said that when he heard the news it was almost too unreal to accept. He was vacationing in Disney World with his grandson, so he could not physically be with Fortunato, but he kept in contact with her family to know how she was doing.  

One of Fortunato’s teammates, junior Meghan Varney, said that when she heard the news, she was “devastated and shocked even to think that the most determined person you’ve ever met was involved in an accident that could have ended her life and running career. The whole team knew she was strong enough to pull through.” 

Fortunato always has been dedicated to cross country and long-distance running. She has been competitively running for Baldwin sports teams since seventh grade.

Now she is determined to run again, and part of that drive comes from her prior successes. One of Fortunato’s greatest moments was qualifying for the 3200-meter run in track at WPIAL playoffs last year.

Varney said that after the accident, “We lost the strongest, most hard-working, talented runner I’ve ever seen. But she’s a fighter, and we all know she will come back strong.”

Fortunato attends physical therapy two days a week at the UMPC Sports Medicine Center. She acknowledged that it has been somewhat difficult to balance school work and therapy.  

“Things you don’t think would be heavy, like books, are hard to carry around school all day,” Fortunato said.

She attends cross country practice and is cleared to run up to two miles now. She hopes to participate in meets this month.   

The team, meanwhile, has supported Fortunato through her entire recovery.

“They’ve been beyond amazing,” Fortunato said.

The team has raised money to help her family defray expenses through carwashes and shoe and jewelry sales. The team also ran a series of races in her honor, such as the Brentwood 5K.

They also created shirts in her honor that read “Running the Road to Recovery with Jules” on the front. On the back the shirts say “Team Fortunato #PrayforJules”

Other members of the school community also have supported Fortunato. The Baldwin Red Cross Club donated $1,900 to Fortunato to support her treatment.

“I was very surprised and extremely thankful for what they did,” Fortunato said of the Red Cross Club.

Wright said the entire process has had an effect on the whole team.

“She has pulled the team closer together. She has taught them not to take anything for granted and her accident has shown them how precious life truly is,” he said.  

“She’s a fighter,” Wright said of Fortunato. “If anyone would come back from this, it’s her. She’s never been afraid of a challenge.”