After losing his drive with Williams
at the end of 1999 to a British teenager by the name of Jenson
Button, it had been a painful couple of years in the wilderness for
Zanardi, who had wrestled with existential questions about his life, his
career, his talent.
But as the race started he felt the old magic returning; he was in harmony
with his car, roaring through the field.
With 13 laps to go Zanardi pitted from the lead and pulled away smoothly.
“I’ve won! I’ve won the race!” he thought to himself.
His life was about to change forever.
Losing control at the exit to the pit-lane, the Italian veered across the
grass and into the path of rival Alex Tagliani, who was flying down the
straight at close to 200mph.
The force of the impact sliced Zanardi’s car in two.
The next thing he remembers is waking up in hospital a week later, his wife
Daniela calling his name.
“The pain was immense,” he later recalled. “I couldn’t raise my head as I was
full of tubes, pipes, electrical wires; I had more telemetry than an F1 car.
“It was then that Daniela told me I had lost my legs.”
The Olympic
and Paralympic
Games regularly throw up inspiring stories of human endeavour, bravery and
courage.
But you would have to go some to beat that of Zanardi who, at the age of 45,
plans to compete against men half his age in two hand cycling events next
summer, the 20km time trial and the road race.
Drive: Zanardi in action at the 2007 New York Marathon
Actually, Zanardi doesn’t just plan to compete; he plans to win.
Brands Hatch, the iconic race circuit in Kent and venue for the hand cycling,
would certainly be a fitting stage to crown a born racer.
The story of Zanardi’s rehabilitation — his battle with depression as he
adjusted to his new life with his wife and three-year-old son Niccolo, his
refusal to accept defeat, his return to professional motor racing using
prosthetic limbs he had designed himself, his four wins in German touring
cars, his visit to the Lausitzring in 2003 to complete the final 13 laps of
that fateful race — is enough to have even the most committed of armchair
sports enthusiasts reaching for his running shoes in shame.
Zanardi does not ‘do’ giving up. Doctors estimate he was 10 minutes from death
when his legs were ripped off a decade ago. His heart stopped seven times.
He was read his last rites on the helicopter ride to the hospital.
“I shouldn’t have survived that accident,” he says. “I basically survived for
about 50 minutes with less than one litre of blood. Science says that’s
simply impossible.”
Zanardi has proved rather adept at defying expectations and debunking science.
He is currently presenting the second series of his own show, E Se Domani —
Quando l’uomo inventa il futuro (And what if tomorrow — when man invents the
future), on Italian television, which looks at the impact technology is
having on our lives.
“We talk about space travel, diseases, sport, communication,” he says. “It’s
great fun but it does limit my training.”
His rivals will not be getting too encouraged.
Zanardi, the No 1 hand cyclist in the world, ended the season by winning the
New York Marathon in October.
The achievement was all the more remarkable when you consider that he only
took up this sport in 2007.
And the fact that by next summer he will be nearly 46.
Some of his competitors will be two decades his junior.
Doesn’t science have something to say about that?
“I’m not the youngest that’s for sure,” he laughs.
“There’s one Dutch kid who is 20, he will be 21 when we get to London.
“He is very, very strong, a very nice kid.
“But what can you do? I’m an old fart. But I’m not discouraged by it.
“Besides, the exciting thing is to try to win the gold; to go out every day
and train with that goal in mind.
“Ultimately, if I get to London and discover that other athletes are just
more talented than me, and I finish fifth or sixth, then it wouldn’t mean
that morning that I have been wasting my time.
“Because believing it to be possible, and doing it, that is the fun
part.”
That philosophy, that perspective, sums up Zanardi’s attitude to life.
But he wasn’t always so self-assured.
There is a section on his official website which gives a potted history of his
career.
In it, he recalls the year prior to his accident.
“I was disgusted by racing and by myself,” he writes.
“I bought a boat and I had so much time to rub oil on the well teak, that at a
certain point I mirror myself into it and I ask myself if that is the life I
want to live.”
Zanardi has no such doubts any more.
Having come to terms with his disability, he is intent on making the most of
what he calls his “second chance”; whether on the road, the climbing wall,
his boat “Hakuna Matata”, or watching his beloved F1.
“I watch every race religiously,” he says, adding that he is certain Lewis
Hamilton, a man who by his own admission struggled with his focus this year,
will bounce back next term.
“Lewis Hamilton is the most talented driver I have ever seen or ever met, but
even from a maturity point of view 99 per cent of the people I’ve met in my
life are not even close to him.
Family man: Zanardi at the Venice Marathon with his son
“I mean, at his age if what has happened to him had happened to me, I
would probably have been in Monte Carlo with the biggest boat, with the gold
Rolex watch, looking down at people and asking ‘what the hell do you want
from me?’ ”
It is difficult to tally that image with the person speaking to me.
Either way, fate had different ideas and Zanardi finds himself going for gold
on three wheels at London 2012.
“I am a lucky man,” he says. “Even after my accident I am in the fortunate
position of being able to choose what I want to do.
“So why should I sit here twirling my fingers? I really am very happy.”
Given his aforementioned doubts, I ask, would he go so far as to say his
accident was a blessing in disguise?
The question is a response to the positivity he exudes.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” he laughs. “I guess the best way I have to answer
your question is if a magician offered me the chance to have my legs back
but without knowing how I would have lived my life these 10 years I would
scratch my head several times before answering.”
A truly inspirational character. No matter how Zanardi fares at London 2012,
he is already a champion to many.
Zanardi’s route to London 2012
1966 Born Oct 23, Bologna
1988 F3 debut
1991 Three starts for Jordan F1 team
1992 Fills in for injured Christian Fittipaldi at Minardi
1993 Wins first and only F1 point at Brazilian GP for Lotus
1996 Moves to Champ Car, winning rookie of the year
1997-1998 Wins back-to-back CART titles for Chip Ganassi
1999 Returns to F1 with Williams but replaced by Jenson Button at end
of season
2001 Returns to Champ Car and suffers huge crash in Germany, losing
both legs
2003 Competes for the first time since accident at Monza, in a touring
car, finishing seventh
2005 Wins first world series race since accident
2006 Tests a modified BMW F1 car at Valencia, shaving off the bottom of
his prosthetic legs to allow him to fit in cockpit
2007 Takes up hand cycling, finishing fourth in the hand cycle division
of New York marathon after only four weeks training 2009 Retires from
WTCC
2011 Qualifies for London 2012 Paralympics and wins New York Marathon
at fourth attempt