Adversities tend to have a way of moulding us into the strongest version of ourselves. Alex Zanardi is an incredible source of inspiration that demonstrates that with sheer grit, we can achieve anything that we set our minds to, even when the odds seem to be stacked against us.
Zanardi does not need an introduction to motor racing fans – he made his debut in the adrenaline fuelled sport in 1988 when he joined the Italian Formula 3 series and has never looked back. He went on to participate in Formula 1 championships during the first part of the 1990s before moving on to sports car racing, the CART Championship series and back to Formula One racing at the end of the decade.
In 2001, Zanardi returned to CART racing where he suffered a serious accident that led to the amputation of his legs. It would have been safe to assume that such a devastating episode would shatter Zanardi’s racing career; but instead it ignited a steely sense of determination to tackle this unchartered chapter of his life. Zanardi went on to design his own prosthetic legs and returned to the racing world thanks to hand-operated vehicles. Impressively, in 2005 he became the first disabled driver to win a world championship motor race. Zanardi went on to repeat this success three more times. Never one to rest on his laurels, Zanardi also become an iconic handcycling Paralympian: he represented Italy during the 2012 and 2016 Paralympics where he won a total of four gold and two silver medals.
It is with this passion to tackle challenges head on that Avanza Academy created a framework where students not only excel in their education journey but are also equipped to fulfil current skills gaps in the labour market. The academy is proud to host Alex Zanardi for an inspirational evening on the 31st May 2019.