Alan Kempster, the man who drifted through the curves of the impossible, has died

Alan Kempster has died
the man who didn't know the impossible

Mourning in the world of motorcycling: he has died Alan Kempster, the rider known for returning to motorbike racing despite having lost his right arm and leg, without the aid of any prosthesis. From news arriving from Australia, where he lived alone, it seems that he was found lifeless in his home in Yarrawonga, Victoria.

Born on February 21, 1962, Alan Kempster had recently turned 56, especially after that motorway accident caused by a truck going the wrong way or which caused him to lose two limbs. Kempster had raced on the Mugello circuit in the summer of 2014, on the occasion of the international race organized byOnlus association Di.Di. Otherwise Disabled, who launched a fundraiser on social media profiles to pay for his plane ticket. Alan, in fact, lived only on his disability pension and could not afford to participate in races: he only ran when he was hosted. On that occasion the sports journalist Fiammetta La Guidara made a documentary, “Goals – The invisible force” telling the stories of three disabled riders who returned to racing motorbikes. One of them was Alan himself (the other two are Emiliano Malagoli, president and founder of the non-profit organization Di.Di Differently Disabled and Nicola Dutto, European champion who returned to running after losing the use of his legs). “After the accident I thought I would never walk again, let alone play sports – he loved it remember Alan in the documentary 'Milestones' -. I took up water skiing and represented Australia at the World Cup and won three titles. But there was one thing missing in my life, and that was the motorbike. I decided to buy it, adapt it and go back to racing." “Seeing Alan Kempster race on the track was a strong feeling, and the thrill of talking to him was even greater – recalls the journalist Fiammetta La Guidara -. I consider myself lucky to have known him: his courage clearly shone through and his will to live was contagious. While we were filming the documentary she had tears in her eyes remembering the accident. It had happened in 1990, but her emotion was such that she seemed to be talking about an event that had happened the day before. She told how her investor had abandoned him in the middle of the street and how he managed to survive. And she told how he had faced his new life, without fear, going back to doing everything he did before."