The British woman Nathalie McGloin is recognized as the only quadriplegic woman in the world who participates in car competitions. Furthermore, she holds the title of the only disabled woman with licenses for both racing and rallying in the United Kingdom.
Due to the absence of specific categories for gender or disability in motorsport, Nathalie competes at the highest level, racing side by side with non-disabled drivers. Her current condition resulted from a car accident when she was 16 years old, an event that caused a neck fracture and complete paralysis from the trunk down.
To participate in races, the driver uses a Porsche 987 Cayman S that has been specifically adapted for her needs. This vehicle is equipped with radial manual controls installed to the right of the steering column. The control system requires her to push a lever forward to engage the brake and downward to accelerate. This arrangement allows her left hand to remain free to steer the car, enabling precise control of the accelerator and throttle.
Nathalie's sporting calendar covers two main championships. The first is the Porsche Club Championship, a high-level series consisting of seven rounds (two races per weekend) contested in class one using slick tires. The second is the New Millennium Series, organized by the Classic Sports Car Club, which comprises eleven rounds, including European circuits, and is run with rubber tires in a class determined by engine displacement.
The driver competes on notable UK circuits, such as Silverstone, Brands Hatch, and Donington. In her career, she has won several podiums and achieved her first definitive victory at the Silverstone GP circuit in 2018. During competition days, Nathalie often allows the public to visit her garage.
Beyond track activities, Nathalie was appointed in 2018, after completing three years in the sport, to the presidency of the International Automobile Federation's (FIA) Accessibility and Disability Commission. In this role, she is responsible for managing global guidelines regarding the inclusion of people with disabilities in motorsport. She stands out as the youngest president of this commission, being one of only two women to lead an FIA commission and the only member of the body with a spinal cord injury. Additionally, she works as a motivational speaker under the motto 'Anything is Possible.'