For as long as he can remember, Mike Johnson has only had one passion in life – racing. By a young age, he had already earned national titles as a motorcycle racer. His family has a background in the industry he can't picture his life any other way.
However, in 2005 he was involved in a motorcycle accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down, threatening to end his career as a racer. Bur Johnson didn’t allow his injury stop him from doing what he loved. In fact, after realizing he couldn’t feel his legs, his first reaction was to ask his father to allow him to continue racing. A racer himself, Johnson’s father said he would find a way to help his son get back on the track.After several years of surgery and physical therapy, Johnson is at it again … only this time as a different kind of racer. Initially, he began racing on go-karts and even won championships in 2007 and 2008.Today, at 18-years-old, he has a new goal. He wants to be the first paralyzed racer to compete in the Indy 500. He is working toward that goal by participating in the ‘ladder’ system galled the Mazda Road to Indy.
Just as Danica Patrick has broken gender barriers in the industry, Johnson hopes to do the same for disabled racers. Considering everything he has overcome, I think Johnson will be able to accomplish his latest goal and I can’t wait to see him do it!
