(^98) MH.CO.ZA/ August 2019
OVERCOMING HIS
CONDITION IS THE
DRIVING FORCE
IN HAMILTON’S
TRAINING.
NICOLAS HAMILTON
RACING DRIVER, LIMIT DEFIER
AGED 27 | 164CM | 64KG
“I was pretty much born at a racetrack,” says
Nicolas Hamilton, remembering a childhood
spent watching his elder brother, future five-
time Formula One world champion Lewis, hone
his talent on the kart circuit. “I wanted to race
karts, but I didn’t think I could, physically.”
Born two months premature and diagnosed
with a form of cerebral palsy known as spastic
diplegia, doctors warned he might never walk or
talk. His current career – pro driver in the Brit-
ish Touring Car Championship - was beyond a
pipe dream. “I was wheelchair-bound between
ages 12 and 18. Being told you’d never walk,
you’d be confined to a wheelchair, have nothing
in your life, with people staring at you, bullying
you – all that strengthens you mentally,” he
says, perched on the sofa (to which he walked, a
few moments earlier – no wheelchair in sight).
After a stint as the top-ranked simulated rac-
ing driver (i.e. racing gamer) in the UK, Hamilton
set his mind on realising his dream: to race real
cars on a real track, in a real competition. That
meant ditching the wheelchair and hitting the
gym. “I need to push 90kg of pressure every time
I hit the brakes, but I could only push 20kg on a
leg press – with both legs. Once I started going to
gym, I realised it wasn’t just benefiting my sport,
but my day-to-day life too.” (In case you’re won-
dering: these days, he presses 130kg on each leg.)
His condition affects his balance and range of
movement, as well as leaving him vulnerable to
injury. “I pop ribs and stuff every day of my life,”
he says matter-of-factly. “I’m used to the pain.
Seated rows really affect my ribs – even sneezing
can pop one out – so I have to be careful. I don’t do
weights much. I do a lot of TRX, plus battle ropes
help my balance massively. I get my cardio from
swimming, because it doesn’t affect my legs.”
If you’ve ever doubted the effect sport and
exercise can have on someone’s well-being, look
to Hamilton. “Training has helped me overcome
my condition. The more I train, the stronger I
become, the more balance I have, the longer I can
walk, the more normal I feel,” he says. “I’m proud
of my condition now. It’s what makes me me. If I
didn’t have it, then I wouldn’t be who I am.”
lily
(lily)
#1