Meet Nathalie McGloin: the only quadriplegic woman to compete in world motorsport

British Nathalie McGloin is the only quadriplegic woman in the world to compete in car racing. She is also the only disabled woman to hold both racing and rally licences in the UK.

As motorsport does not have categories separated by gender or disability, Nathalie competes at the highest level directly against men without disabilities. Her physical condition is due to a car accident suffered at the age of 16, in which she fractured her neck and was completely paralyzed from the chest down.

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To compete, the driver uses an adapted Porsche 987 Cayman S. The vehicle is equipped with radial hand controls mounted to the right of the steering column, the operation of which requires pushing the lever forward to brake and down to accelerate. The mechanism leaves your left hand free to drive and allows you to dose the throttle and throttle to gain greater control over the car.

Nathalie’s sports calendar is divided into two competitive championships:

• Porsche Club Championship: A high-level series consisting of seven stages (two races per weekend), held in class one on slick tyres.
• New Millennium Series: Organized by the Classic Sports Car Club, with eleven stages — including European circuits — disputed with rubber tires in a class defined by the engine displacement.

The driver competes at renowned circuits in the United Kingdom, such as Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Donington. Throughout his career, he accumulated several podiums and obtained his first absolute victory at the Silverstone GP circuit in 2018. During the days of competition, Nathalie usually keeps her garage open to the public for visitation.

In addition to her work on the tracks, Nathalie was appointed, in 2018, after a three-year career in the sport, President of the Accessibility and Disability Commission of the International Automobile Federation (FIA). In this position, he is responsible for managing global policies for the participation of people with disabilities in motorsport.

She is the youngest president of the commission, one of only two women to lead an FIA commission and the only member of the entity with a spinal cord injury. At the same time, he acts as a motivational speaker under the motto “Everything is Possible”.