Months after getting hit by a truck while hand-cycling, Alex Zanardi seems to be making a remarkable recovery. The Drive brought our attention to a story from Italian outlet Autosprint, which says that after successful surgery, Zanardi is once again able to speak. "It was a great emotion when he started talking, no one believed it. He was there! And he communicated with his family," the surgeon, Dr. Federica Alemanno said. Of course, this isn't the first extraordinary recovery Zanardi has made. After losing his legs in a horrific IndyCar crash in 2001, Zanardi eventually took up hand cycling, becoming a Paralympic gold medalist, and returned to racing sports and touring cars with hand controls.

A new documentary titled “Alex Zanardi — Disability is all Relative”is about to make its debut on Amazon Prime.

Filmed across 2018-19 in partnership with BMW, the 50-minute film chronicles the Italian’s preparation and effort to compete in the Rolex 24 At Daytona endurance race driving a specially modified BMW M8 GTE outfitted with hand controls.

The two-time CART IndyCar Series champion, a symbol of inspiration for all he achieved after losing both legs in a sickening 2001 crash, returned to racing with BMW in 2003 and added Paralympic competition to his endeavors where the 54-year-old would go on to earn multiple gold medals in hand cycling.

Zanardi was dealt another cruel blow last June during a hand cycling event in Tuscany where a collision with a truck left the former Formula 1 driver in a coma with injuries to his brain and skull. Although details have been sparse throughout his latest recovery process, an update from January described Zanardi as able to speak with his family and doctors, which brings optimism for all that his future may hold.

For now, a look back in documentary form to Zanardi’s phenomenal performance during IMSA’s big WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season opener from 2019 might serve as a powerful reminder of how one racer’s refusal to be defeated by life is our gift.

“We all have to deal with restrictions in a certain way,” Zanardi says in the film’s opening sequence. “It is all relative. Life is a journey and we have to accept our limits. No person can fly like a bird, so you try to deal with the problem if you cannot overcome it.”

One year after Alex Zanardi’s crash and ensuing head trauma in an Italian hand bike competition, his wife Daniela shared an update on the CART IndyCar Series and Paralympian’s recovery progress.

“One year after the accident, Alex’s condition is essentially stable,” she said. “He is currently in a special clinic, where he is undergoing a rehabilitation program. This includes multimodal and pharmacological stimulations under the guidance of doctors, physiotherapists, neuropsychologists and speech therapists to try to facilitate his recovery

“We have received so many best wishes for his recovery, and I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you, on behalf of Alex, for every single message. Following consultations with the doctors, now appears to be an appropriate time to offer this small insight into Alex’s recovery process with this interview.

“I would like to tell all those people who are thinking of and praying for Alex that he is fighting — as he always has done. The affection we have received from friends, fans, acquaintances, athletes and those involved in motorsport over the past year has been nothing short of touching and overwhelming and has been of enormous support for us in dealing with all this. However, a very special thank you goes to the medical personnel.”

Zanardi continues to face a number of daily challenges.

“It has been a very complex process that has required more neurosurgery and been characterized by a number of setbacks,” she said. “Alex is in a stable condition, which means he is able to undergo training programs for both his brain and his body. He can communicate with us, but he is still unable to speak. After a long time in a coma, the vocal cords must regain their elasticity. This is only possible through practice and therapy. He still has a lot of strength in his arms and hands, and is training intensively on the equipment.”

The next stage of Zanardi’s recovery will see the beloved Italian head home, but there’s no timeline for that move.

“It is certainly another huge challenge,” she continued. “It is a very long journey and at the moment no predictions are made on when he will be able to return home. We put all our energy in Alex’s recovery. We appreciate everyone’s understanding that we will leave it at that for the moment.”

“Different programs Alex did in hospital are continued at home now,” she said. “During the week, a therapist works with him and they do physical, neurological and logopedic exercises. In regards of his physical condition, there is a lot of progress. Alex has more and more strength in the arms, that has increased a lot. And, other than in (the) hospital where he was in bed a lot, Alex now spends most of the day in the wheelchair with us. He just rests a bit in the afternoon after lunch.”