FFSA International Handikart Trophy wins first FIA EmPowering Disabled Motor Sport Award

The new award recognises organisations or individuals making motorsport accessible to all people with physical disabilities, with the initiative led by FIA Disability and Accessibility Commission head Nathalie McGloin.

Nominees for the award needed to met the criteria of “organisation or running of dedicated racing events for participants with disabilities, or significant support to facilitate them, vehicle adaptations design or engineering or training for people with disabilities” to get involved in motorsport.

Out of numerous applications for the award, the FFSA International Handikart Trophy, formed in 2014 to promote handikart and encourage disabled people to discover the motorsport discipline, has been selected as the first-ever winner.

“I would like to warmly congratulate the FFSA International Handikart Trophy for winning the first FIA EmPowering Disabled Motor Sport Award,” FIA president Jean Todt said.

“The FIA is strongly committed to recognising and rewarding those who make motorsport more accessible.

“I hope that this new award and its first winner will act as a catalyst for awareness and progress in this direction.”

McGloin added: “Since its inauguration in 2018, our Disability and Accessibility Commission has worked hard to increase the number of disabled people in motorsport.

“To really make a lasting change, we need initiatives like this competition dedicated to disabled drivers.

“As a result of this programme, some of them have been able to compete in high-level FIA championships.

“I would like to personally thank the organisers of the FFSA International Handikart Trophy for their dedication and I hope that this award will inspire other projects, which will help our Commission to achieve its ambition of making motorsport accessible to all.”

Nicolas Deschaux, FFSA President, was naturally delighted by the recognition from the FIA and is eager to see it as a stepping stone to further develop and support disability motorsport.

“The figurehead of this is the International Handikart Trophy, which has been held in France for four seasons now,” Deschaux explained.

“I would like to give a special mention to our Handikart Working Group, headed by Mr Alain Nicolle, whose dedication to the organisation of this event has led to the Federation receiving this honour.

“We must all continue together down this path, to ensure the longevity of handisport.”