Zanardi's personal triumph at Brands Hatch

Alex Zanardi, gold in hand cycling, London 2012 Paralympic Games, road day one

Nearly 11 years ago to the day, Italian driver Alex Zanardi was involved in an horrific accident during a CART race at the Lausitzring in Germany.

Zanardi spun when exiting the pit lane, straight into the path of an oncoming vehicle travelling at approximately 200mph. The collision was horrific, severing both of Zanardi's legs on impact. In the aftermath he lost around three-quarters of his blood. Only quick medical intervention and emergency surgery saved his life, albeit one that was changed forever.

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Nick Bull is an NCTJ qualified journalist who has written for a range of titles, as well as being a freelance writer at Beat Media Group, which provides reports for the PA Media wire which is circulated to the likes of the BBC and Eurosport. His work at Cycling Weekly predominantly dealt with professional cycling, and he now holds a role as PR & Digital Manager at SweetSpot Group, which organises the Tour of Britain.