MOTORSPORT IS MY LIFE
Nathalie McGloin may be paralysed from the chest down, but she hasn’t let that slow down her amazing racing career
Iwas 16 years old when I was a passenger in a car that was involved in an accident and my neck was broken, leaving me paralysed from the chest down. Sixteen years later, I was in the driver’s seat of a racing car at Brands Hatch, ready to go racing!
I believe in living life to the full – and I’ve always refused to let a broken neck ruin my plans. Eleven months after losing my ability to walk, and only two weeks after being discharged from hospital, I returned to school, completed my A levels and went to university, just as I’d intended.
At university I discovered wheelchair rugby and, after graduating, I became a professional wheelchair rugby player with Team GB. I really enjoyed the sport and loved representing my country but I had another passion in my life – cars. So, when one of my wheelchair rugby team mates asked if I’d like to join him at a track day at a race circuit, I jumped at the chance.
That’s when I fell in love with driving as fast as I dared around a race track and, for the next five years, I had lots of fun at track days. In 2014, after calling a halt to my wheelchair rugby career, I decided to apply for my race licence.
Obtaining my licence took just over a year as, like everyone who wants to compete in motorsport, I had
Porsche Club
Championship against 20 able-bodied drivers with far more experience than me. What was I doing?
Then the race started – and a wave of adrenalin rushed through me. I was a racing driver. Nothing else mattered other than getting past the cars in front. I’d started second last on the grid but finished a respectable 14th out of 21.
I’ve been racing ever since. Racing gives me an incredible buzz – it’s the feeling of being in control when I’m right on the edge.
When I’m on the race track in my speciallyadapted car, I can do exactlyy the same as an able-bodied driver, male or female. Racing gives me a level playing field – and I never feel out of place. Of course, my disability leads to extra challenges, such as getting into the car, ensuring