Nathalie McGloin obtains ARDS licence despite spinal injury
Tuesday 30 June 2015 11:52, UK
The Porsche Club Championship has a new competitor after Nathalie McGloin became the first British women with a severe spinal injury to obtain her racing licence.
She passed her Association of Racing Driving Schools (ARDS) exam in April and that enabled her to take part in this year’s competition.
Nathalie was left paralysed from the waist down after she was involved in a car accident as a passenger at the age of 16.
Competing in a modified vehicle, she finished 19th out of 22 entrants in her opening race at Silverstone and spoke to Sky Sports’ Jane Dougall about her delight at being cleared to take part.
She said: “I can’t explain the relief and excitement I felt at the same time. There was fear as well and I thought: ‘I’ve got this now and I have to do that race next week.’
“You need to be able to make sure you can exit the car in seven seconds so that if you have a crash or your engine blows up, you are not going to be stuck in the car.
“Once you are in the car, it doesn’t matter who you are and what gender you are or whether you’re in a wheelchair or able-bodied.
“You’re just another driver and I come to circuits on race days and I’m a driver, not a wheelchair user.
“I can’t get away from the fact I am but it’s a respect that’s on a level playing field. You don’t often get that in some parts of society and it’s good. It’s the way it should be.”
