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"Always believe, never give up" is the message that Niko Tremolada and his Wheelchair Karting association have been advocating for inclusivity for four years now. Two days shy of his 18th birthday, Niko was the victim of a nasty motorcycle accident that caused him to lose the use of his legs.
As he himself says, it may be true that the accident took away the use of his legs, but not his dreams, which is to give himself for others. That is precisely what Tremolada talked about Tuesday night at the event organized by Kopron by Kontractor at the Kart track in Vignate, which featured Alvaro Bautista.
"The message of my association is one: always believe, never give up," said Niko. "Unfortunately, due to a car accident, I lost mobility in my legs. Thanks to go karting, however, I have taken back my life and for the past 4 years we have been on the track with the Wheelchair karting Association. To date I have brought more than 3,000 kids to the track, and the core value is the smile from each of them."
This is perhaps Niko's greatest victory....
"The first boy I took on the kart gave me a feeling of personal well-being. Of course, it was not easy to get back up after that bad accident on May 10, 2011, which represents year zero for me. However, my family helped me without leaving me alone to myself, and now we are here with our association."
Listening to Niko's words is Alvaro Bautista. In a few hours the Spaniard will be on the track in Cremona, but first he wanted to make a stop in Vignate, on the track that hosts, among other things, the lessons of the SMC, or School of Motorcycling.
"I think this is a beautiful project," said the Aruba rider, "this is a school that everyone can enroll in, from professionals to amateurs, and that teaches you how to ride a motorcycle with the most modern riding techniques, with a personalized training method and above all in a safe way, which is the most important thing.
Later, Alvaro echoes Niko Tremolada's words and his message, "Always believe, never give up."
"What drives me to get on the bike every day is my love for motorcycles," he said, "I remember that my father, at the age of four, passed this passion on to me, the same passion that still accompanies me today along with motivation. Every morning when I wake up, I enjoy training and I am aware that it is not a job, but I do it to be the best I can be."
Rewinding the tape of his career, Bautista does not forget his victories, but also his defeats.
"Winning the title in 2006 was a dream. I had a good team and a good bike, in fact I felt strong. I won effortlessly. In 2022, on the other hand, it was a victory of pride, because I worked to be a better rider. Of course in a rider's career there are moments of joy and difficulties. In defeats you have two paths: either you take all the negative that comes or you try to see positive. I have always tried to be positive and take the best."
The Spaniard then did not forget the past with his arrival in SBK.
"People thought it was easy in Superbike, but we have seen so many riders go to SBK from MotoGP and struggle. I am of the opinion that SBK is simply a different Championship. Unfortunately, in MotoGP I missed showing that with a good team and a good bike I could have aspired to better results."
Finally, the focus then shifted to two great rivals, namely Toprak and Rea.
"They are two different riders, very aggressive. When you are fighting with Toprak, he always takes you to the limit, but he is fair. Toprak tries to pass you without making a mess, while Rea is an old fox, if he can he won't hesitate to throw you off. He is someone who leaves his mark on you (smiles). It's certainly not easy to duel with them, because when you're in a fight you don't know what your rival is doing. Often it is instinct, sometimes it is not. You can prepare yourself, but you don't know how it will turn out."
photo credit: @matteocarlinphotography raspaluigi
