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“I became Tony Hawk in a wheelchair” – When 103 GP winner advised his brother to do wheelies on wheelchair to avoid bullies

Ananya Bangera
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“I became Tony Hawk in a wheelchair," Lewis Hamilton advised his brother to do wheelies on wheelchair to avoid bullies

Nicolas Hamilton reveals how his F1 star and seven times world champion brother Lewis Hamilton saved him from bullies in his childhood

A rising star in British motorsport, Nicolas Hamilton is the paternal half-brother of Lewis Hamilton. He claims he is the F1 champion’s ‘biggest fan’ because of his actions on and off track.

The 30-year-old experienced physical limitations as a result of his early cerebral palsy diagnosis. Thus, he had to spend most of his life in a wheelchair. This inspired Lewis who scribed the words “Still we rise” on the back of his helmet.

Nicolas took to his Instagram to share a video of a motivational speech he gave in Denmark. In the video, he talks about an incident from his childhood which also included Lewis Hamilton.

Nicolas Hamilton’s childhood traumas with Bullies

Speaking about his early years, Nicolas Hamilton claimed that being confined to a wheelchair made him an easy target of bullies. “People came over to me, pulling me backward in my wheelchair, leaving me stranded, not being able to fight for myself,” he said.

This is when he went to his brother and asked him what to do when his peers bullied him for being in a wheelchair. Hamilton had an amazing reply to this. He stated: “We’ll use this wheelchair to make you cooler.”

Nicolas Hamilton became the Tony Hawk. In his own words, he explained: “I became Tony Hawk in a wheelchair. I was like jumping steps, doing wheelies, spinning around.”

Also read: Fernando Alonso allegedly used a frequency scanner to get a better start during races

Nicolas Hamilton on being the seven-time world champion’s ‘biggest fan’

Lewis Hamilton has often stated that his younger brother, who attends as many races as possible with him, is an inspiration to him.

In a previous interview with Sky Sports F1’s Natalie Pinkham on her podcast “In the pink”, Nicolas talked about his relationship with his brother and reveals that the feeling is clearly mutual.

“I could talk about him forever because my life has revolved around him but not through hateful eyes, just pure pride,” the young Hamilton explains.

He continued to talk about the highs and lows of their family. Moreover, he explains how much important the Mercedes driver is to him and to the family.

“I’m so, so, so proud of him, and to see where he’s come from. Being a poor black kid with actually not much going for him. Then to now be known as one of the most influential sporting athletes in the world, means so much to me.”

“I still can’t believe he’s doing that because who are we to have this sort of effect on people? We’re just a normal family.

He further emphasizes how Lewis “wears his heart on his sleeve.” And how Lewis has matured and evolved as a person.

Also read: Carlos Sainz personally experienced the effects of Netflix’s $744 Million boost in F1

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