Lost limbs, but not self-confidence: a racing driver without hands entered the top ten drifters in the world

A man with an amazing will to live is engaged in motorsport. And this is despite the fact that he lost both hands due to an accident. He drives the car with his feet and takes part in drift competitions. Bartek Ostalowski from Poland did not give up his dream of becoming a professional racer after a terrible car accident, and still achieved his goal. Now the athlete is among the top ten racing drivers in the world. A purposeful guy inspires others to achieve high goals in spite of fate.

Bartek Ostalowski was left without hands after a motorcycle accident in 2006. Despite this, the young man did not allow the tragedy to kill his dream of becoming a professional racer. He was only 20 years old, and he was determined to learn how to drive a car with his legs.

The guy gathered his will into a fist and, at the cost of incredible efforts, was able to ride on the race track again. Three years later, the Pole became a true master of maneuvering and entered the top ten drifters in the world. He is the only professional sports racer in the world who drives a car with his feet.

In order for physical limitations not to interfere with him while driving, Bartek redesigned the Nissan Skyline GT-R racing car to suit the characteristics of his body. The athlete added a new engine and a separate, more powerful gearbox. An ambitious driver from Poland presses the pedals with his right foot and steers with his left. He controls the automation with his shoulder.

To learn how to drive a car without hands, the guy was inspired by a story about his compatriot, who also lost limbs, but continued to drive. The racer met and talked with this man. After this fateful meeting, his faith and desire to achieve his goal became even stronger. He promised himself to return to the race track.

Having won fame and success in his native Poland, Bartek Ostalowski began to improve the difficult drifting technique. This is one of the most difficult skills that requires quick reaction and precise coordination of movements when the car skids along the highway. Nevertheless, the athlete without hands managed to cope with difficulties and become one of the best drifters in the world.

In 2019, Ostalowski took ninth place among fifty riders in the Polish Drift Championship. A year before that, he won an international drift competition in the Czech Republic, leaving behind professional athletes.

Bartek can be called a real superhero. His example inspires many people with disabilities from different parts of the world. He is a living proof that a sincere desire to achieve success helps to overcome seemingly insurmountable difficulties. Each of us can make our dreams come true.

The 19-year-old American, like Ostalovsky, defied fate by surviving a terrible accident on a forklift truck. His lower body was amputated, but the guy was not going to give up and defeated death.