Rally Portugal: Former champion Kankkunen tests APN wheelchair

Former rally driver Juha Kankkunen visited the Portuguese Neuromuscular Association stand today and tried out an electric wheelchair, highlighting the importance of raising awareness of the reality of reduced mobility.

“It was a new experience. I had never driven a chair like this before. I had had many accidents and two spinal surgeries. In the last one they told me to stop. One of the bones almost broke. I can still move around fine. I was a bit lucky, I think,” he said.

Regarding the accidents he has faced, the Finn recalled what his life was like inside a racing car. During his more than two-decade career, he has accumulated many kilometers and extreme situations.

“I’ve had many. But let’s think about it this way: over the course of 25 years, I’ve driven two and a half million kilometres, always driving and jumping. Basically, being in a rally car means being in a constant accident. That’s the level of demand”, he pointed out.

Kankkunen has been a standout in the Rally of Portugal in different decades, winning on four occasions. The connection to the Portuguese event remains strong, both in terms of results and memories.

“I’ve won here four times. Twice in the World Championship, once with the Toyota Corolla, when it wasn’t counting towards the World Championship. But perhaps my best memory is from 2010, when I won the Historic Rally in the Algarve with the Ford Escort PDA,” he said.

Always in good spirits, the former world champion added: “I have always been successful here. It is always good to come back. Portugal is a special place for me.”

During the visit to the association's stand at Exponor, he reflected on mobility and the importance of the contrast between seemingly distant worlds: the speed of a rally car and the lack of mobility of those who depend on technical aids for their daily lives.

“For those living with these limitations, sitting in an electric chair can be as liberating as sitting in a racing car. It’s a different kind of freedom, but equally significant,” he commented after trying out one of the electric models at the exhibition.

Ana Gonçalves, vice-president of the Portuguese Neuromuscular Association, contextualized the institution's presence at the event as an opportunity to give visibility to the cause and inform the public.

“We know what the rally represents. It’s speed, overcoming obstacles, energy. But we wanted to show the opposite: people who sit or lie down for more than eight hours a day and depend on others for almost everything,” he explained.

The association represents rare and progressive genetic diseases. Today it has around 1,200 members. Despite technical advances, many of the difficulties remain.

“We work with multidisciplinary teams because each pathology is different. The evolution varies from person to person. Raising awareness among the public is an essential part of our work,” he concluded.

Founded 33 years ago, the association arose from the need to bring together patients and families in a context of little information and almost no technical support.

Former rally driver Juha Kankkunen visited the Portuguese Neuromuscular Association stand today and tried out an electric wheelchair, highlighting the importance of raising awareness of the reality of reduced mobility.

“It was a new experience. I had never driven a chair like this before. I had had many accidents and two spinal surgeries. In the last one they told me to stop. One of the bones almost broke. I can still move around fine. I was a bit lucky, I think,” he said.

Regarding the accidents he has faced, the Finn recalled what his life was like inside a racing car. During his more than two-decade career, he has accumulated many kilometers and extreme situations.

“I’ve had many. But let’s think about it this way: over the course of 25 years, I’ve driven two and a half million kilometres, always driving and jumping. Basically, being in a rally car means being in a constant accident. That’s the level of demand”, he pointed out.

Kankkunen has been a standout in the Rally of Portugal in different decades, winning on four occasions. The connection to the Portuguese event remains strong, both in terms of results and memories.

“I’ve won here four times. Twice in the World Championship, once with the Toyota Corolla, when it wasn’t counting towards the World Championship. But perhaps my best memory is from 2010, when I won the Historic Rally in the Algarve with the Ford Escort PDA,” he said.

Always in good spirits, the former world champion added: “I have always been successful here. It is always good to come back. Portugal is a special place for me.”

During the visit to the association's stand at Exponor, he reflected on mobility and the importance of the contrast between seemingly distant worlds: the speed of a rally car and the lack of mobility of those who depend on technical aids for their daily lives.

“For those living with these limitations, sitting in an electric chair can be as liberating as sitting in a racing car. It’s a different kind of freedom, but equally significant,” he commented after trying out one of the electric models at the exhibition.

Ana Gonçalves, vice-president of the Portuguese Neuromuscular Association, contextualized the institution's presence at the event as an opportunity to give visibility to the cause and inform the public.

“We know what the rally represents. It’s speed, overcoming obstacles, energy. But we wanted to show the opposite: people who sit or lie down for more than eight hours a day and depend on others for almost everything,” he explained.

The association represents rare and progressive genetic diseases. Today it has around 1,200 members. Despite technical advances, many of the difficulties remain.

“We work with multidisciplinary teams because each pathology is different. The evolution varies from person to person. Raising awareness among the public is an essential part of our work,” he concluded.

Founded 33 years ago, the association arose from the need to bring together patients and families in a context of little information and almost no technical support.

Former rally driver Juha Kankkunen visited the Portuguese Neuromuscular Association stand today and tried out an electric wheelchair, highlighting the importance of raising awareness of the reality of reduced mobility.

“It was a new experience. I had never driven a chair like this before. I had had many accidents and two spinal surgeries. In the last one they told me to stop. One of the bones almost broke. I can still move around fine. I was a bit lucky, I think,” he said.

Regarding the accidents he has faced, the Finn recalled what his life was like inside a racing car. During his more than two-decade career, he has accumulated many kilometers and extreme situations.

“I’ve had many. But let’s think about it this way: over the course of 25 years, I’ve driven two and a half million kilometres, always driving and jumping. Basically, being in a rally car means being in a constant accident. That’s the level of demand”, he pointed out.

Kankkunen has been a standout in the Rally of Portugal in different decades, winning on four occasions. The connection to the Portuguese event remains strong, both in terms of results and memories.

“I’ve won here four times. Twice in the World Championship, once with the Toyota Corolla, when it wasn’t counting towards the World Championship. But perhaps my best memory is from 2010, when I won the Historic Rally in the Algarve with the Ford Escort PDA,” he said.

Always in good spirits, the former world champion added: “I have always been successful here. It is always good to come back. Portugal is a special place for me.”

During the visit to the association's stand at Exponor, he reflected on mobility and the importance of the contrast between seemingly distant worlds: the speed of a rally car and the lack of mobility of those who depend on technical aids for their daily lives.

“For those living with these limitations, sitting in an electric chair can be as liberating as sitting in a racing car. It’s a different kind of freedom, but equally significant,” he commented after trying out one of the electric models at the exhibition.

Ana Gonçalves, vice-president of the Portuguese Neuromuscular Association, contextualized the institution's presence at the event as an opportunity to give visibility to the cause and inform the public.

“We know what the rally represents. It’s speed, overcoming obstacles, energy. But we wanted to show the opposite: people who sit or lie down for more than eight hours a day and depend on others for almost everything,” he explained.

The association represents rare and progressive genetic diseases. Today it has around 1,200 members. Despite technical advances, many of the difficulties remain.

“We work with multidisciplinary teams because each pathology is different. The evolution varies from person to person. Raising awareness among the public is an essential part of our work,” he concluded.

Founded 33 years ago, the association arose from the need to bring together patients and families in a context of little information and almost no technical support.