Meet Richie Parker. He likes to fix up old cars in his spare time. He drives a very sweet 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS. At his day job, he's an engineer for NASCAR's Hendrick Motorsports. Oh, and did I mention that he doesn't have arms?
It turns out that living without arms is just a minor detail for 30-year-old Parker, who was recently the subject of a profile story ESPN2. From driving to doing computer design work, Parker does it all with his feet.
With the help of his very awesome parents, Parker spent his whole life coming up with solutions to this problem and proving people wrong when they tell him he can't do something. In some ways, it's almost natural that this would lead to a career in engineering.
But Parker is a car guy, so his dream was not only to drive (which he does regularly) and work on cars (that too) but to design race cars, which he does as a chassis and body component designer for Hendrick. He turned a 10-month internship there into a career that has so far spanned eight years and five championships.
It just goes to show you that when willpower and ingenuity are put together, there aren't many obstacles that can be overcome.
Hat tip to AUSTINTHEBRUISER in Oppo!
The Life Of This Armless NASCAR Engineer Will Inspire You