Alessandro "Alex" Zanardi was a young man who actually had the deck stacked against him when it came to car racing but yet, he didn't let it stop him from pursuing his dreams. He was an Italian driver who would be able to claim two CART championship titles in the late 1990s in North America and beat all odds even after a bad accident almost claimed his life.

Alex Zanardi's sister had been a very talented swimmer with a promising career ahead of her when her life was cut short in an automobile accident. Year later, Alex Zanardi walked away from an accident that should've claimed his life but instead took his legs. Still, he raced.

For Zanardi, racing was his life. He began racing karts as a teenager and then joined the Italian Formula 3 Series in 1988. He was a contender to win by 1990. He moved up rapidly within the Formula 3000 and by 1993, he was contracted with Lotus.

After Lotus scored by adding Alex to their team, Zanardi scored his first point in the Brazilian Grand Prix. However, there would be very few years for celebration.

In 2001 at a Germany race, Alessandro Zanardi would take a late stop at the pit. After leading the last laps of the race, Zanardi came out of the pit and faced a near fatal collision. The crash would claim his legs and prove to place Alex Zanardi through months of rehabilitation.

Unhappy with the way his legs would be designed, Zanardi decided to build his own legs. The "legs" he built were designed with racing in mind. By 2003, Zanardi was racing again in cars with manual controls specifically designed for him.

Alessandro Zanardi has co-authored two books about his life story. He has been an inspiration in racing and to those who know the Alex Zanardi story.