Fastest Blind man in the world
Discussion
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4229468.stm
[quote=bbc]
S African is fastest blind driver
Hein Wagner (Copyright www.motoring.co.za)
Hein is an intrepid sports adventurer (Copyright www.motoring.co.za)
South African Hein Wagner has become the world's fastest blind driver.
Driving a red Maserati V8 Gransport, he notched up 269km/h (167mph) along an airstrip in north-west South Africa
"It is an absolutely awesome feeling. It was over so fast," the 33-year-old said, after breaking the previous 233km/h (144mph) record.
Blind from birth, Mr Wagner is a motivational speaker from Cape Town and was raising funds for the South African National Council for the Blind.
"We've raised 60,000 rand ($9,500) so far and I'm aiming to get 100,000 rand ($15,500)," he told the BBC News website on his arrival back in Cape Town.
'Blind man with vision'
The record was set on an airstrip because blind people are not allowed to drive on public roads, he said.
I'm exhausted, I can see why people don't break manage to break records very often
Hein Wagner
"I had five hours training in the car before I made the attempt," he said.
He said he had to drive the sports car, owned by the car dealer Viglietti, without any insurance.
"Unsurprisingly, nobody would risk insuring a blind driver," Wagner said.
"I'm exhausted, I can see why people don't break manage to break records very often."
He describes himself as a "blind man with vision" and this is not his only intrepid sporting success.
In 1998 he was part of the South African blind cricket team which won the first-ever blind World Cup.
He has also completed two marathons; climbed 10 of the highest mountains in South Africa's Western Cape region and finished the Cape to Rio Yacht Race in 1993.
His next ambition, he says, is to break the blind world air speed record in a plane.
"I enjoy flying, so I'll investigate that perhaps in the next six months," he said.[/quote]
For some reason the idea of a blind cricket team really cracked me up :D
[quote=bbc]
S African is fastest blind driver
Hein Wagner (Copyright www.motoring.co.za)
Hein is an intrepid sports adventurer (Copyright www.motoring.co.za)
South African Hein Wagner has become the world's fastest blind driver.
Driving a red Maserati V8 Gransport, he notched up 269km/h (167mph) along an airstrip in north-west South Africa
"It is an absolutely awesome feeling. It was over so fast," the 33-year-old said, after breaking the previous 233km/h (144mph) record.
Blind from birth, Mr Wagner is a motivational speaker from Cape Town and was raising funds for the South African National Council for the Blind.
"We've raised 60,000 rand ($9,500) so far and I'm aiming to get 100,000 rand ($15,500)," he told the BBC News website on his arrival back in Cape Town.
'Blind man with vision'
The record was set on an airstrip because blind people are not allowed to drive on public roads, he said.
I'm exhausted, I can see why people don't break manage to break records very often
Hein Wagner
"I had five hours training in the car before I made the attempt," he said.
He said he had to drive the sports car, owned by the car dealer Viglietti, without any insurance.
"Unsurprisingly, nobody would risk insuring a blind driver," Wagner said.
"I'm exhausted, I can see why people don't break manage to break records very often."
He describes himself as a "blind man with vision" and this is not his only intrepid sporting success.
In 1998 he was part of the South African blind cricket team which won the first-ever blind World Cup.
He has also completed two marathons; climbed 10 of the highest mountains in South Africa's Western Cape region and finished the Cape to Rio Yacht Race in 1993.
His next ambition, he says, is to break the blind world air speed record in a plane.
"I enjoy flying, so I'll investigate that perhaps in the next six months," he said.[/quote]
For some reason the idea of a blind cricket team really cracked me up :D
mel said:
Shame they got their facts wrong, the previous record holder was a british soldier called Billy Baxter who did 165mph on a ZX10R last August. IMO it takes more balls to do it on bike than in a car but having said I think it takes pretty big cahooners to do it either way.....
Mel - for some reason that record (Billy's) doesnt seem to have been counted. I'm still in the throes of doing the F1 blindfold thing, and the target has always been the 144 they quoted. Dont ask me why.
Oh, and to anyone who says "it's easy"....you honestly have no idea what you're talking about...
mel said:
Shame they got their facts wrong, the previous record holder was a british soldier called Billy Baxter who did 165mph on a ZX10R last August. IMO it takes more balls to do it on bike than in a car but having said I think it takes pretty big cahooners to do it either way.....
wow a bike, now that would be hard if you were blind
r988 said:
wow a bike, now that would be hard if you were blind
you aint joking. There is a young lady currently trying it on a Yam R1....because of wind noise at high speed interfering with the mic instructions she is having to have the lid completely gaffer-taped to her head.....so no way of opening the visor however wrong it goes!!!! She's already done runs at over 150 though!
mel said:
Shame they got their facts wrong, the previous record holder was a british soldier called Billy Baxter who did 165mph on a ZX10R last August. IMO it takes more balls to do it on bike than in a car but having said I think it takes pretty big cahooners to do it either way.....
Also the bloke who did the lap round the top gear track.
chim_knee said:
she is having to have the lid completely gaffer-taped to her head.....
Now, I'd draw a comedy-scared face on the gaffer-tape... I mean... she wouldn't know would she.
They did a documentary on Billy Baxter which was absolutely riveting, he had the same problem with wind noise through his visor and they also gaffer taped it up, however because we're talking squaddies here (he did the whole thing with the Royal Artillary's white helmets) they actually did marker pen on a pair of comedy eyes.......
From memory I think the program was called Blind Faith or similar and he actually had peak top speeds over 170 but the rules were something about average speeds in 2 directions over 1/4 mile of something, Haven't a clue why it appears to have not been allowed
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