Alex Albon has joined the Wings for Life family as an official Ambassador for the Spinal Cord Research Foundation.
Wings for Life has very close ties with the Team and has been our official charity partner since 2005. The foundation’s mission is clear: to find a cure for spinal cord injury.
Having learned more about Wings For Life through Ed Jackson and his Everest staircase challenge during the first lockdown, Alex didn’t hesitate at the opportunity to provide more support to the foundation and started his role as Ambassador with a surprise visit to Formula One superfan, Matt Knoesen, at the Team’s factory.
Seven year old Matt was born with a spinal cord injury, but the disability hasn’t prevented the motorsport-mad youngster from emulating his racing heroes Alex Albon and Max Verstappen by taking up go-karting.
Under the impression he was going for a routine hospital check-up, Matt was in fact unknowingly headed to the Red Bull Racing factory for a surprise sit down chat and personal tour of the Team’s HQ with Alex, as well as Team Principal and fellow Wings for Life Ambassador Christian Horner.
Speaking after meeting Matt, Alex said: “Being a Wings for Life Ambassador means a lot to me and it was inspirational to meet Matt and see such a very spirited, determined young man. It is so important to secure the funding necessary to continue research into spinal cord injuries so that youngsters like Matt, and all those affected by spinal cord injury, might one day make a full recovery.”
Every eight hours someone in the UK sustains a spinal cord injury and most become wheelchair users as a result. Spinal cord injury affects people of all ages and backgrounds and is most commonly caused through road traffic accidents, falls, illness and sports. Spinal cord injury happens in a moment, but the impact lasts a lifetime. – media@redbullracingmedia.com
