Alex Zanardi - A True Competitor Never Gives Up.

In life there are many ups and downs.

Eleven years ago, Alex Zanardi was in the lowest point of his career. The 2-time CART champion, former Indianapolis 500 starter, and former Formula1 competitor, was having a difficult 2001 season with CART's Mo Nunn Racing. He was 22nd in the points out of 27 racers. But on September 15, 2001, in the Lausitzring in Germany, Zanardi showed the world again his true potential. He worked his way to the front of the pack and was leading the race with 13 laps to go when he makes his last pit stop. As he rejoins the track, his car spins and heads straight across the racing circuit. One car narrowly misses Zanardi's machine, but the next car of Alex Tagliani cannot avoid Zanardi as he tries to regain control.

Tagliani's car crashes into Zanardi at 200 mph. The reinforced nose of the Canadian's car impacts Zanardi's machine right behind the front wheels, the weakest part of the race car, literally ripping the car in two. Both of Zanardi's legs are ripped off of his body in the crash. The result should be fatal.

It wasn't. And the story is just beginning.

(Note: images in this story are graphic and might be disturbing to some readers)

When Dr. Terry Trammell arrives at the crash scene, he slipped and fell on what he thought was oil from the crippled car. It was blood. Zanardi would lose nearly three-fourths of his blood from the accident. The quick reactions of the rescue team (which was at Zanardi's side 19 seconds after the impact with Tagliani), doctors on board the life-flight helicopter (who successfully restarted Zanardi's heart seven times), to the surgeons (who successfully stopped the bleeding and kept Zanardi alive) led to the Italian making a full recovery.

He was alive.

But his first thoughts after being told his legs were severed and needed to be amputated further? "I wonder how the hell I'm going to all the things I have to do, now with no legs. But I have no doubt in my mind that I'm going to do it." Two years later, he's back in a modified open-wheel car, and finishes the last 13 laps at Lausitzring that he couldn't finish in 2001. He did those laps at an average of 193 mph using a hand accelerator and brakes. It was only the beginning. He would compete at Monza later that year in a Touring car modified for his prosthetic legs. He returned full time in 2004, winning a race in 2005, his first victory since the accident. He even tested for BMW Sauber in Formula1 in 2006! He could not be kept off of the track. Everybody knew that, given the proper equipment, he could race competitively again. Nobody knew that it would happen outside of the world of motorsports. In the aftermath of his accident, Zanardi took up handcycling to stay in shape and strengthen his arms. In 2007 he finished 4th in the New York City Marathon in the handcycle division, with only four weeks of training. Four years later, he won the Marathon. But that's not all. Yesterday, he competed in the Paralympic Games. He won gold in the men's road time trial in handcycling with a time of 24 minutes, 50.22 seconds, which was 27.14 seconds quicker than second place. He took up the hobby to stay in shape, and now he's the best in the world.

And, surprise surprise, he's not done.

Former CART teammate Jimmy Vasser, now current co-owner of KV Racing in the IZOD IndyCar Series, called Zanardi to wish him good luck. Vasser made him a deal: he promised Zanardi a ride for the 2013 Indianapolis 500...if he won the gold.

I can't wait to see him going around the Brickyard next May!