ANYTHING YOU CAN DO ...

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ALEX ZANARDI
41, Motorsports

In 2001, the two-time CART champ had both legs amputated after his car was broadsided during a race in Germany. Few expected the Italian to walk again, let alone race, but in 2003 Zanardi was back racing, using legs he designed and a system almost comical in its contrivances: His right leg has a shoe that attaches to the brake; he stops by shifting his hip, using his left leg to stay in position. Meanwhile, he engages the clutch by pulling on a ring around the steering wheel, shifts gears and steers with his right arm, and accelerates by pressing a throttle button on the steering wheel with his left thumb. Zanardi sometimes struggles on turns because his hands must do so many things, but he won World Touring Car Championship races in 2005 and 2006. Today he says he won't slow down until he owns another world title—and all those able-bodied drivers are just specks in his rearview mirror.
Photographs by Carlos Serrao