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The extraordinary life of Alex Zanardi, the champion of the impossible who inspired millions

2026-05-02 18:58:30Sport SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Alex Zanardi

Alex Zanardi, who has died at the age of 59, was a hero of the 21st century. A man who inspired millions through his indomitable spirit in the face of incredible adversity. An icon of two different sports.

The Italian died on Friday, almost six years after a serious road accident during a handbike race, a vehicle with which he became a four-time Paralympic champion and 12-time world champion.

This was the second chapter of his sporting success, after a first where he had achieved significant results as a racing driver, competing for several seasons in Formula 1 and becoming a two-time champion in the American IndyCar series.

The dividing line between these two periods of his life was a terrible accident at the Lausitzring track in Germany, where Zanardi lost both legs, most of his blood, and was only saved from death thanks to prompt medical intervention.

Zanardi was a man who experienced much pain in his life, but who always maintained a positive attitude, despite the difficulties he faced.

He was also a kind, warm, charismatic and sincere man, much loved by all. His ability to explain how he had overcome personal challenges made these experiences more understandable and gave hope to people around the world.

What kept Zanardi alive and allowed him to return to high sporting levels was his extraordinary strength of will.

"I am very lucky," he once said.

“There’s a strong connection between what happened before and after, in the sense that I was able to move on in this new life. Against a lot of things. I don’t feel like I’m living a second life. It’s the same life. I’ve been able to embrace things that I would never have experienced if what happened hadn’t happened. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’m very comfortable in this new life where I’ve done a lot of new things, 99% of which are directly related to my condition. So, after what happened, I’ve been able to turn it into an opportunity.”

The extraordinary life of Alex Zanardi, the champion of the impossible who

He had three partial seasons from 1991-1993 with the Jordan, Minardi and Lotus teams, showing occasional potential, before suffering a serious concussion in a crash at Spa, at the Eau Rouge corner in 1993.

When he returned the following year, Lotus was in dire financial straits and when the team folded at the end of 1994, his Formula One career seemed over.

In 1996 he secured a place in the American CART championship with the Ganassi team, which changed his career.

Zanardi won two races in his first year and then became a dominant force in the championship, winning two consecutive titles in 1997 and 1998.

His performances in the US again attracted the attention of Formula 1, but his return with Williams in 1999 did not work out as expected.

He later admitted that he perhaps didn't give it enough attention, while Williams was also in decline. The relationship didn't solidify, and at the end of the year he left the team.

The extraordinary life of Alex Zanardi, the champion of the impossible who

"Who cares about my legs? I'm alive"

In 2001 he returned to CART, racing for Mo Nunn's team.

At the race at the Lausitzring, just four days after the September 11 attacks in the US, the accident that changed his life occurred.

After exiting the pits, he lost control and crashed onto the track. Canadian driver Alex Tagliani hit his car at around 320 km/h, destroying the front end.

The accident was devastating. Zanardi's car was left on the track and he lost a large amount of blood.

His heart stopped seven times. He survived for almost an hour with less than a liter of blood, thanks to the rapid intervention of the medical team led by Dr. Steve Olvey.

Recalling the moment he woke up in hospital, Zanardi said: "I felt the greatest joy I've ever experienced in my life. The pain was indescribable. But I was alive. Who cared about my legs? I'm alive."

It was the end of his single-seater racing career, but he began a long rehabilitation and was fitted with prosthetics.

In 2003 he returned to the track with a modified car, symbolically completing the remaining 13 laps of the interrupted race.

He then competed in the WTCC championship with BMW and won several races.

He later focused on handcycling and achieved extraordinary success: in 2011 he won the New York Marathon, while at the 2012 London Paralympic Games he won two gold medals. In Rio 2016 he repeated the success.

In total, he won 12 world gold medals from 2013 to 2019.

The extraordinary life of Alex Zanardi, the champion of the impossible who

"A hero to millions of people around the world"

Zanardi became globally known and was always in demand for interviews. He refused to call himself special, speaking instead of the strength of the human spirit.

“Sometimes we forget what we have,” he said. “I am the one in a thousand who survived. But I am not Superman. I don’t want to give the wrong message. I don’t think the accident made me a better person. But afterwards I saw life from a different angle and I am spiritually richer. I learned that humans are capable of incredible things. We all have a reserve of energy that comes out when needed.”

Zanardi died on May 1, 32 years after the death of Ayrton Senna, another motorsport icon.

A symbolic coincidence, but also a connection that unites them in history: both became heroes for millions of people and both left behind a legacy that will live long.

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