The Injuries That Almost Stopped Katherine Legge From Making It To the Indy 500 (EXCLUSIVE)

Katherine Legge Blog Cover Indy 500

In an exclusive interview with ‘iWALKFree,’ race car driver Katherine Legge shares her journey from a potentially career-ending injury with two broken legs to competing in the Indy 500.

Was there a precise moment when Katherine Legge became something more than just a race car driver? At some point during the first 23 years of the 21st century, Legge ascended into her greatness. Who is this Katherine Legge anyway? The 220mph+ Guildford UK-born racer has been climbing the world of auto racing since her earliest days in England. 

Let’s face it. What sports fan today never had a dream as a kid? Being a race car driver is just about any boy’s childhood dream, but most don’t continue to pursue their childhood dreams in racing. Which brings us to the essence of what makes her great. “I want to be a race car driver.” At only 9 years old Katherine had made up her mind. From that moment on, everything and everyone else needed to get out of the way. 

In 2000, Legge was the first woman to achieve a pole in a Zetec race. She beat Formula 1 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen’s lap record and achieved a pole, and she was the first woman to receive the BRDC’s “Rising Star” accolade. In November 2005, Legge became the first woman to test a Formula One car since Sarah Fisher in 2002. She was also the first woman to test an A1 Grand Prix car, in December 2005 with A1 Team Great Britain. Legge became the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America and the first woman to race in the DTM series.  Legge’s list of firsts is truly impressive. 

To be able to race at the top level you must be dedicated beyond measure. Legge is focused on her commitment to winning. She’s driven. But driving at over 200mph comes with severe setbacks. In 2020 Katherine crashed during pre-race testing in preparation for the European Le Mans Series in which she broke both her legs and right wrist. This could have easily been a career-ending injury for her because she spent months in a wheelchair.

During her recovery period, Legge also questioned whether she still wanted to race and if she still had the guts to do it. While she was recovering, she was coaching another woman racer and Legge recalled “I lifted myself out of the wheelchair, into the Ferrari Challenge car, and drove that with two broken legs, just to see whether I could still do it. Mentally, I needed to know, because that was kind of weighing on me. But I was fine, obviously, because here I am now.” 

The road to recovery was a lengthy process. Legge spent about a month in France in rehab and came back to the United States in a wheelchair. She remained in a wheelchair for another couple weeks.  “The iWALK was what enabled me to get out of the wheelchair and start the proper weight-bearing rehab. Then honestly it was probably two months after that before I felt a semblance of normality.”

Katherine Legge using the iWALK hands-free crutch during her recovery from broken leg
Katherine Legge using the iWALK hands-free crutch in her recovery

While she was recovering, the iWALK hands-free crutch helped her heal quicker, get around better, and strengthen her leg to become weight-bearing because she could move around without the limitations of cumbersome arm crutches. It provided her with the freedom and mobility to go to physical therapy and navigate daily activities. When asked about iWALK and how it aided in her process, Legge said “I was fed up with being dependent and I was in a wheelchair and I really wanted to be on my feet again. It helped to strengthen my left leg which was what they wanted, they wanted it to be weight-bearing. I think it made it possible, honestly, for the healing to be quicker and also for me to get around to things like physios because I don’t know that I would have gotten around to physios without it. We’re all about racing efficiency so it was an awesome tool in our toolbox. That’s really corny and it’s really true.”

Katherine elaborated on her healing journey, sharing how happy she was to be walking on two legs again for the first time in months. “It depends on what I was doing. I could take a few steps by myself. My parents were there and it was like re-learning to walk all over again,” said Legge. The iWALK crutch improved her recovery time and helped her to walk again after breaking both of her legs.

Legge continued, “It was six months before I was driving again. I was driving a car with broken legs if I’m honest.” Even though it took her about 6 months to fully recover from her injury, that did not deter Legge from wanting to race again, especially in the Indy 500. “I was racing sports cars since I broke my legs.” Every year Legge tries to compete in the Indy 500. “It’s been 10 years since I’ve raced the Indy 500 and all the stars aligned again this year,” she said.

Legge did not let her injury stop her and knew she wanted to race Indy again one day. “I was very focused on the opportunities in front of me. I wanted to be back in an Indycar, absolutely and I wanted to be healed as soon as possible and so I kept on keeping on. I believed that it would happen.” And on Sunday, it will happen.

For Legge, when asked what it would mean to win the Indy 500 she said “It would mean everything to me. The Indy 500 is iconic and you would go down in history, It would change my whole life, and it would change my family’s life. It would change everything, it would mean everything and I think it would change the sport forever so that’s what I’m going to keep trying to do on Sunday.”

Katherine Legge Indy 500 May2023
Katherine Legge was the only female to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 on Saturday

It’s also not lost on her that she is only the 9th woman ever to qualify for the Indy 500. There have been 107 Indy 500s, and there have only been 9 women. “I think it would be really cool if we can get to a time when there are 9 women in the race. I don’t know when that’s going to happen but that would be awesome. I want to be remembered for being a great car driver but also during the racing, showing up in the right way and being a positive influence to people, being good to work with. I think it’s not about me, it’s bigger than I am, and even though I want to be remembered as a great race car driver my gender does play a part and I want to do that responsibly and hopefully, I am a good role model because the spotlight is on me a little bit more.” said Katherine.

The spotlight is on you Katherine and we are excited to cheer you on as you compete in the Indy 500 and beyond. Legge relies on her team and focuses on doing what she needs to do. And there’s that little 9-year-old girl at the wheel who pushes herself through to the finish line. 

It’s winning that drives us to be great. And the faster we go the better chance we have. But we can learn so much from the setbacks, crashes, and the broken bones. For Katherine Legge, adversity is just a speed bump. To race an Indycar can be likened to winning an Oscar. To do it after a potentially career-ending injury makes it all the more impressive.

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