Alex Zanardi is a former F1 racer who suffered a catastrophic crash in 2001 which saw both his legs amputated but he continued to race and achieve success.
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When one talks about racing, there are some basic things that are needed. A good car, skill, arms, and legs to ensure that you execute those skills. But, what if you lose both your legs in an accident? This signals the death knell for those who pursue a racing career. But, this was not the case for this Italian driver. Having raced in Formula One, he was racing in CART championships in the USA. A catastrophic accident saw the loss of both his legs. But, Alex Zanardi was tough and gutsy. He participated in racing and later in handcycling, a form of Paralympic cycling. He suffered an accident that put him in a medically induced coma, but he hung on and survived.
Zanardi’s never-say-die attitude in a sport like racing is a true inspiration for any individual. He may not have the numbers to showcase his skills, but for endurance and courage, Zanardi tops even elite athletes. His two near-death incidents have not dulled his passion. It is without a doubt that Alex Zanardi is one of the bravest sporting personalities alive in the 21st century.
Born in 1966, Zanardi’s life was molded by an automobile tragedy. His sister died in an automobile collision in 1979. Zanardi’s sister was a promising swimmer but her life was cruelly cut short. The automobile tragedy galvanized Zanardi and his passion for racing. At the age of 13, the same year that his sister died, Zanardi was racing in carts. He went up the ranks and did well in the Italian F3 series and in the F3000 racing series.
Looking at the strong performances in F3000, Eddie Jordan was impressed with Zanardi and signed him on a three-race deal with Jordan in F1. Zanardi managed to finish ninth in one of the races. In 1992, he was racing for Minardi. During the 1993 season, he had a chance to either feature for Lotus or Benetton. The Benetton team featured future great Michael Schumacher but Zanardi chose Lotus. Later on, he would reveal that it was a mistake to choose Lotus.
In 1993, Zanardi scored his only point in his F1 career as he finished sixth in the Brazilian Grand Prix. However, in the aftermath of Brazil, Zanardi suffered his first major accident. An elderly man collided with his bicycle and ran over his left leg. Zanardi suffered some broken bones but in the first sign of bravery, he still raced in Germany although he did not finish it.
After Lotus wound up, Zanardi went to the American CART series to begin a new chapter. In his rookie season, he won three races but in the next year, his tally improved to five. Zanardi would pioneer a new way of celebrating race wins. Whenever he won, he would spin his car in tight circles, leaving doughnut-shaped rings on the circuit. American racers would go on and repeat this in every race.
The CART success saw Zanardi come into contact with Williams founder Sir Frank Williams. Despite getting offers from BAR, Zanardi chose to race for Williams. His second coming in F1 was not memorable and he struggled to finish in the top 10. Plagued with reliability issues, Zanardi failed to make an impact in the sport. He left F1 and once again joined the CART circuit.
During the 2001 CART series, Zanardi was racing in the American memorial race at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz on 15 September 2001. It was to commemorate and pay tribute to all the people who had lost their lives in the September 11 terror attacks. Zanardi started from the back of the grid and was gaining the upper hand of the race. After a late pit stop, Zanardi on cold tyres was attempting to merge back onto the track when he accelerated abruptly, lost control of his car, and spun onto the race track into the direct path of Patrick Carpentier.
Carpentier was able to avoid him, but Alex Tagliani, who was just behind Carpentier at the time, could not avoid, and Zanardi’s car was blindsided from behind the front wheel, severing the nose of the car. After the crash, Zanardi was unable to exit the vehicle alone. Paramedics tended to him and he was taken to hospital. It was diagnosed that he suffered severed bones in both legs.
Doctors felt that surgery would not save both legs in time and that Zanardi needed amputation. In addition, Zanardi lost 75 percent of his blood volume. But, it was quick medical help that saved his life. Further portions of his legs were amputated during three hours of surgery to clean and facilitate closing the wounds. But, the amputation had ended his racing career. Or had it?
Zanardi was now rehabilitating with prosthetic legs now inserted. However, the Italian was not satisfied with the quality of the prosthetic legs in the commercial market. Zanardi decided to do something dramatic. He designed and built his own custom legs, to allow him to compare the weight and stiffness of various feet to find the ones most suitable for racing.
Zanardi participated in the European Touring Car circuit and he also tested an F1 car. Apart from racing, Zanardi participated in handcycling. A handcycle is a type of human-powered land vehicle powered by the arms rather than the legs, as on a bicycle. Most handcycles are tricycle in form, with two coasting rear wheels and one steerable powered front wheel. Despite usually having three wheels, they are also known as handbikes.
Zanardi won the Paralympic gold medal in the 2012 London games as well as in the 2016 Rio games. He smashed the Ironman world record in the category of the disabled. All the achievements only made people appreciate the grit and brilliance of Zanardi. There was a further tragedy in 2020 when he suffered a handbike accident which was severe.
He was descending down a hill when he lost control of his handbike and veered into an oncoming truck, leading to severe facial and cranial trauma. Emergency services attended the scene after other competitors helped to raise the alarm. Zanardi was showing signs of interaction but his condition remained “serious.” He had undergone several surgeries to reconstruct his face.
However, he regained his sight and hearing and was able to give non-verbal responses to questions. He was reported to be able was to shake hands on demand. In January 2021, it was reported that Zanardi was able to speak again following a waking surgery.
With so many setbacks, it takes a big heart to recover. Zanardi has displayed tremendous grit and heart.
