This Man Will Race Le Mans Despite Losing Both His Arms And Legs

Frederic Sausset, 46, lost all four of his limbs to a bacterial infection in 2012. In the hospital bed, trying to come to terms with the grief and how vastly his world had changed, Sausset imagined competing in the historic 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. It was a dream he knew sounded foolish, and while those around him likely didn’t admit it, they probably thought it foolish too.

And yet here we are, three years later. Sausset has since rolled his wheelchair onto the podium numerous times in the VdV endurance series, and now, after his announcement in France last week, is set to run in next year’s iconic marathon at Le Mans in a specially adapted Morgan LMP2 prototype, hitting speeds of around 200 mph down the famed Mulsanne Straight.

“I had to find a meaning and future to this life,” he said. “I spoke to my wife, who I must admit did not quite understand all of the intricacies of this race.”