Alex Zanardi’s success in winning two hand cycling gold medals and a silver at his first Paralympic Games was made even more poignant by the fact that his successes took place at Brands Hatch, a track he competed on as a Formula One driver. Having lost his legs in a near fatal motor racing accident in 2001, Zanardi has excelled at Paralympic sport, also winning the Venice, New York and Rome marathons, setting new records in New York and Rome.
Zanardi is currently training for Alpine skiing, while also being actively involved in the Bimbingamba Project, a charity he set up dedicated to helping children who have lost one or several limbs. In 2005, Zanardi won the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award after returning to motor racing in the European Touring Car Championship.
