Pope Francis Writes Personal Letter to Paralympian Alex Zanardi After Crash

A handwritten letter from Pope Francis to Italian Paralympian Alex Zanardi, who is in a coma after suffering injuries during the Tricolor Goal rally hand-cycle race last Friday, was made public in La Gazzetta dello Sport. 

The letter reads as follows, per the Vatican News:

"Dear Alessandro,

"Your story is an example of how to start again after a sudden halt. Through sport you have demonstrated how to live life as protagonists, making disability a lesson in humanity. Thank you for giving strength to those who had lost it. In this painful moment I am close to you, I pray for you and your family. May the Lord bless you and Our Lady keep you."

Steven Cole Smith of Autoweek detailed the relay-race crash that led to Zanardi's hospitalization:

"On a hairpin turn, he lost control and rolled over twice, into the path of an oncoming truck.

"Video footage from the scene showed his broken cycle, lying on its side, next to a white car, with a tractor-trailer truck parked 200 feet ahead. Zanardi was transported, apparently with some delay, by helicopter to the Santa Maria alle Scotte University Hospital in Siena, 34 miles away."

Zanardi, who had surgery to repair facial injuries, is at risk of losing his sight and may have suffered brain damage, the hospital said, per Mike Pryson of Autoweek.

Per Andrew Benson of BBC News, the Sienna hospital where Zanardi is staying announced that he is in stable condition but that his "neurological condition remains unchanged in its severity." He is intensive care and on a ventilator.

The 53-year-old was a professional driver who raced in Formula One, World Touring Car Championship and the CART Championship. However, the two-time CART FedEx Championship Cup Series winner's F1 career ended after suffering life-threatening injuries during the 2001 American Memorial on Sept. 15 of that year resulting in both legs being amputated.

Remarkably, Zanardi continued his racing career in the World Touring Car Championship in 2003 before announcing his retirement in 2009.

Zanardi enjoyed a post-racing athletic career, however, in hand-cycling and triathlon races. He's won four gold medals at the Paralympic Games and 12 more golds at World Championships.

He's been called an inspiration for his perseverance after nearly losing his life in 2001, including Jeff Olson of indycar.com, who said it is "difficult to find a more amazing story than Zanardi’s."