Nicolas Hamilton
Nicolas Hamilton is a British racing driver who currently competes in the British Touring Car Championship. He races with a specially-modified car due to his cerebral palsy. Nicolas is the paternal half-brother of seven-time Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton.
Born with Cerebral Palsy, which affects the movement of his leg muscles, Nicolas was initially a wheelchair user. He endured years of gruelling, painful training so that by the age of 17 he could walk completely unaided. A huge achievement in itself, but this was just the first part of his unwavering determination to become a professional racing driver.
Nicolas was told as a child that he would never walk due to his cerebral palsy and would spend his life reliant on a wheelchair. Not one to be told he cannot do things, with determination and gruelling training he not only walked unaided, but he started to realise his dream: to be a racing driver.
In a notoriously competitive and tough sport, Nicolas has established himself as a potential future champion, an achievement in any context, but even more so for someone who was told as a child that he would never walk. As well as racing Nicolas is focused on sharing his inspirational story and his belief that your ambition is limited only by your attitude. Delivered in his genuine, down-to-earth, friendly manner, Nicolas’ keynotes recount his personal story of motivation, facing down challenges and overcoming adversity as well the lessons in teamwork that his sport has instilled.