Reggie Showers

Reggie Showers
Born (1964-02-06) February 6, 1964 (age 60)[1]
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania[1]
NationalityAmerican
Alma materTemple University[1]
OccupationMotorcycle drag racer
Years active1989–[1]
Known forDouble amputee and International Drag Bike Association world champion, 14 world records[1]

Reggie Showers (born February 6, 1964[1]) is a two-time motorcycle drag racing world champion in the IDBA as a double amputee, and a motivational speaker.

Accident

In 1978, at the age of 14, Showers lost both of his legs below the knee in an electrical accident. He later said of his disability, "It really didn't faze me; it was kind of surreal. I just said, 'Come on, let's get it over with.' This was another challenge."[2]

Motorcycle drag racing

Showers had a successful career drag racing motorcycles in the National Hot Rod Association series. He used specially-made race-day prosthetics that made him shorter than his usual stature. Showers has retired from drag racing. He is now a motivational speaker working with mentorship programs; he is also an enthusiastic participant in adaptive snowboarding.

On Saturday, 21 June 2008, Showers proposed to his girlfriend Vikki on-camera during the ESPN2 coverage of the NHRA Super Nationals in Englishtown, NJ. It aired on Sunday, 29 June 2008 during the NHRA Summit Nationals in Norwalk, OH.

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f Sanchez, Brenna, "Reggie Showers", in Henderson, Ashyia N. (ed.), Contemporary Black Biography, vol. 30, Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale Group, pp. 183–184, ISBN 0-7876-4621-0
  2. ^ "Showers the "World's Fastest Amputee"", ESPN.com, August 8, 2002