A MAN from Newport who was seriously hurt when he was hit by a car while riding his motorcycle has joined up with a competitive racing team of disabled drivers.

Andrew Tucker, 31, was riding his motorcycle in January 2013 when a car collided with him at traffic lights. He was left with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee, which required partial reconstruction, an inverted right ankle, and muscle damage to his lower leg. A large piece of muscle also had to be removed from the back of his calf.

He was also left with limited movement and deformity in his right shoulder, trapped nerves in his neck, scoliosis and spondylitis in his spine and a deformed right hand and foot. Today he has to use crutches to get around.

But it wasn't just physical scars he was left with - Mr Tucker also suffers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety following the crash.

Mr Tucker said: “My injuries have not only caused me a whole host of physical challenges and changes, they have also left me feeling isolated and depressed, so for a long time I haven’t felt able to take on new opportunities."

Earlier this year he saw a documentary about Team BRIT, a motorsport team made up of people with physical disabilities, PTSD and mental health issues, and got in touch with the organisation. It wasn't long before he was taking part in one of the team's first-ever Racing Academy sessions earlier this year.

South Wales Argus:

Andrew Tucker sporting his Team BRIT attire

“I saw the stories of the injuries and disabled drivers competing with Team BRIT and was completely inspired," he said. "I knew that if they could do it, then I could to.”

He visited Donnington Race Circuit where he was able to drive the team’s VW Polo on the track, using hand control technology. He impressed instructor Stuart McLaren so much that he was awarded ‘driver of the day’.

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Mr Tucker was immediately hooked and attended four more sessions with the team. After an assessment from team founder Dave Player and race engineer Al Locke, he was invited to become a rookie driver with the team, and is set to compete in the GAZ shocks BMW 116 Trophy in 2020.

“My first time using the hand controls was just amazing," he said. "I’ve taken part in track days using my own car before, but with my injuries, you just can’t compete in racing equally.

“The hand controls completely level the playing field and immediately I knew this was the new start I needed. It’s also the perfect form of therapy for me physically and mentally”.

Mr Tucker, who had previously worked as a mechanic in the British quad racing champions, joined the team at the Birkett Relay at Silverstone this weekend where he cheered on his future teammates and met with a number of the team’s partners and supporters.

“I can’t wait to get racing with the team next year," he said. "I’ll be taking it extremely seriously and will be searching for partners and sponsors to back me.

“I’m absolutely committed to doing all I can to be at the front of the pack when I hit the track.”