Alex Zanardi - Para-Olympian!

Gougoodthing · Post by **Gougoodthing** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 11:19 am

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-dr ... le4460770/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

NeilPearson · Post by **NeilPearson** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 12:32 pm

http://www.arseforums.com/phpBB/viewtop ... 75#p331465" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

bengatta · Post by **bengatta** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 5:13 pm

Alex deserves his own thread of worship.... he is a superstar...

dvestate · Post by **dvestate** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 12:58 pm

Nice to see him win

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/disability-sport/19493510" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Duke · Post by **Duke** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 2:24 pm

That's Awesome!!!

DexterPunk · Post by **DexterPunk** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 3:01 pm

What a champ!

Sent from Han Solo using TK-421's phone.

pogo · Post by **pogo** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 9:33 pm

amazing guy!

Duke · Post by **Duke** » Fri Sep 07, 2012 8:29 am

Love the photo of Zanardi in this cycling blog post: http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.c ... mpics.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

w00dsy · Post by **w00dsy** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 5:05 pm

and now world champion

Duke · Post by **Duke** » Tue Apr 29, 2014 8:03 pm

Thought this was the best place to put this... what an awe-inspiring human being.

[youtube] [/youtube]

wobblysauce · Post by **wobblysauce** » Tue Apr 29, 2014 11:29 pm

Here and Cool Racing, work fine.

Nice video.

J.D. · Post by **J.D.** » Thu May 01, 2014 7:27 pm

Hope he's not into guns.

Duke · Post by **Duke** » Mon May 19, 2014 12:40 pm

[youtube] [/youtube]

bengatta · Post by **bengatta** » Mon May 19, 2014 7:56 pm

I always cheer up when I hear him speak.... He is an inspiration.

Thanks for posting them...

DarrenM · Post by **DarrenM** » Tue Oct 14, 2014 10:35 am

Now it's Alex Zanardi - Iron Man. Amazing.

http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/179809.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Italian, attempting his first-ever triathalon event, completed the famous Kailua-Kona event in Hawaii on October 11, 272nd out of 2,187 finishers.

The Kona event consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26.2-mile marathon run. Zanardi utilised a wet vest which kept his body floating for the swimming portion, before he took to a self-developed handcycle to finish the biking segment. The Ironman was completed on an Olympic wheelchair, crossing the line in nine hours, 47 minutes and 14 seconds.

"It is fantastic and I will treasure this day in my heart for the rest of my life," Zanardi said. "The last 300 meters were worth everything, they were worth being here for. I don't know if everybody got cheered the same way, but when I passed down that narrow lane, I have never experienced anything like that. It was amazing. I was always close to crying. I am not an emotional guy for these types of things, but this was very special."

Duke · Post by **Duke** » Tue Oct 14, 2014 10:52 am

What a friggin legend!!! How's the arms on the bloke.

w00dsy · Post by **w00dsy** » Tue Oct 14, 2014 5:57 pm

i was just showing my wife and she said 'i'd fall in a heap if i lost my legs'. Yes, yes you would.

Duke · Post by **Duke** » Wed May 30, 2018 1:46 pm

Worthy of a necro-thread revival...

Double amputee and Former CART, F1 and WTCC driver Alex Zanardi will make a much anticipated DTM debut for BMW at his home Misano round later this year.

Having lost both legs in a violent CART accident at the Lausitzring in 2001, Italian racing legend Alex Zanardi lost none of his competitive spirit, returning to the German venue just 12 months after his accident to lap the European oval at high speed in front of an adoring crowd of race fans.

With his speed and determination unquenched, Zanardi would embark on a second career following his accident in the super competitive World Touring Car Championship, driving a specially adapted BMW 320si to several race victories during his five year stay in the WTCC.

With age catching up with the Italian, Zanardi would step away from full time touring car racing at the end of 2009, turning his attention to the Paralympic world where the double Champ Car title winner would design his own hand bike, successfully racing his way to an incredible 12 gold medals between 2012 and 2016.

Having recently returned to the Blancpain GT Series and national Italian GT series, again behind the wheel of a BMW, the German marque have now confirmed a one off special appearance at the Misano round of the DTM this August, a fine follow up to the specially organised test in 2012 to celebrate the driver winning gold at the London Paralympic games.

“I feel like a kid in a candy store and massively look forward to racing the BMW M4 DTM at Misano,” says Zanardi. As motor-racing enthusiast I had planned to definitely make the trip to Misano and attend the first DTM night races in the history of the sport. But to now be in the cockpit and contest the races myself is just fantastic.”

At 51 years of age, and without the benefit of a recent full programme of driving behind him, a DTM debut will be a major challenge for Zanardi, however with an iron determination and more talent than many current drivers will ever wish to enjoy, don't bet against Zanardi bagging a surprise result this August...

Duke · Post by **Duke** » Sat Jun 20, 2020 9:56 am

Far out what is it with Alex, he can't take a trick!!! My thoughts go out to him again.

Zanardi seriously injured in hand cycling accident

IndyCar legend Alex Zanardi has suffered a severe head injury in a collision with a larger vehicle during a handbike race in his native Italy.

w00dsy · Post by **w00dsy** » Sat Jun 20, 2020 11:12 am

“Twenty minutes passed from the time of the accident to when the medical personnel arrived. It took some time to load him (into the ambulance). His wife helped. After the accident he was talking,” the AP quotes Valentini as adding in a separate interview with local media.

That's encouraging.

Duke · Post by **Duke** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 10:47 am

UPDATE: June 20, 8:30am ET:
The Santa Maria alle Scotte hospital in Siena issued a new update Saturday morning on the condition of racing legend Alex Zanardi, who suffered serious head injuries in a road accident during a handbike race on Friday. While stating that his condition is stable, the hospital noted that his condition remains “very serious.”

The full statement, translated from the original Italian, is as follows:

“Regarding the clinical condition of the athlete Alex Zanardi, hospitalized from 1800 (hours) on June 19 in very serious condition at the Santa Maria alle Scotte hospital following a road accident that occurred in the province of Siena… the patient, subjected to a delicate neurosurgical intervention on the evening of June 19, and subsequently transferred to intensive care, has stable hemodynamic and metabolic parameters.

“He is intubated and supported by artificial ventilation while the neurological picture remains serious.”

Giuseppe Oliveri, director of neurosurgery at the hospital, offered additional on Zanardi’s condition in a press briefing on Saturday.

“He arrived with facial fracture and a sunken fracture of the frontal bones,” Oliveri told Corriere della Sera. “He will have to remain sedated and ventilated, allowing the secondary damage as a result of the trauma to stabilize over time.

“The improvement, if any, will be very slow over time. Assessments of the neurological situation will be made when he wakes up, if he wakes up. It is useless to speculate today how it will go – I just know that I am absolutely convinced that it is worth treating him.”

Post by **norbs** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 12:07 pm

If he wakes up.

Duke · Post by **Duke** » Mon Jun 22, 2020 8:14 am

UPDATE: June 21, 7:30am ET:
Alex Zanardi remains in stable but serious condition at the Santa Maria alle Scotte hospital in Siena, Italy, following his accident during a handbike race on Friday which left the racing legend with major head injuries. Zanardi remains in a medically induced coma following his surgery on Friday night, and doctors are unable yet to make predictions about how fully or quickly the 53-year-old Italian may recover from his injuries.

“The patient spent the night in conditions of cardio-respiratory and metabolic stability. Organ functions are adequate,” the hospital announced in a statement Sunday morning, adding that Zanardi continues to be “sedated, intubated and mechanically ventilated.

“The ongoing neuromonitoring has shown some stability but this data must be taken with caution because the neurological picture remains serious,” the hospital statement concluded. “The current conditions of general stability still do not allow to exclude the possibility of adverse events and, therefore, the patient remains in a reserved prognosis.”

w00dsy · Post by **w00dsy** » Mon Jun 22, 2020 11:41 am

Imagine the emergency workers seeing a dude come in with smashed face and no legs.

Duke · Post by **Duke** » Wed Jun 24, 2020 8:50 pm

Alex Zanardi will remain in an induced coma until at least next week while he continues to receive treatment for severe head injuries sustained in a hand cycling accident in Pienza, Italy on Friday.

The 53-year-old lost control on a descent during a road race and collided with a truck traveling on the opposite direction. He was airlifted to the Santa Maria alle Scotte hospital, where he underwent three hours of neurosurgery and maxillofacial surgery.

“The neurological picture remains unchanged in its severity,” the update said. “The patient remains sedated, intubated and mechanically ventilated. Any reductions in sedoanalgesia, for the assessment of neurological status, will be considered starting next week.” According to the hospital, Zanardi’s prognosis remains “confidential”.

A.R.S.E.