Aaron Morgan is undoubtedly an exceptional sportsperson. Having raced since his teens, this year 30-year-old Aaron secured third place overall in class 4 of the Britcar Endurance championships and is now moving up to the prestigious British GT Championship.
But what makes his success even more impressive is discovering he’s achieved all this with a disability, while racing alongside able-bodied competitors. He talks about his life on and off the track and how having a Stiltz home wheelchair lift installed has finally given him the same freedom at home as he enjoys on the racing track.
Positive Mental Attitude
Racing has been in Aaron’s blood from a young age. He watched his dad go-karting and started motocross aged seven; he always had a self-confessed, ‘need for speed.’ He joined a race club and enjoyed competing until disaster struck. In 2006, aged fifteen, Aaron had a life-changing accident on the track, breaking his vertebrae and spinal cord which led to him spending a month in a coma. Talking to him about this awful time in his life he is exceptionally upbeat. “All my friends and family surrounded me with support and positivity which really helped, even when I spent my sixteenth birthday in hospital. Around that time, an occupational therapist told me that because I was now disabled, I would be able to take my driving test a year early!” Little did that OT realise she had set Aaron on a course that would steer his life in such an exciting direction.
“I was still in and out of hospital at that time but I got my driving licence pretty quickly and by May 2008 I went on to gain my racing licence; at the time I was the youngest disabled person to achieve a National B Racing Licence,” says Aaron, unaware of how impressive this sounds for a young man paralysed from the waist down.
Unable to access enough funds to start racing properly though, he waited until 2011 when he debuted on the grid in the Production BMW Championship. He was awarded ‘Driver of the Year’ at the end of his first season. Next came a move to the acclaimed BMW Compact Cup Championship where Aaron made such an impression, that he came to the attention of Team BRIT, comprising drivers with varying disabilities who compete in major races alongside mainstream, able-bodied competitors.
“The world of motorsport is quite small; everyone knows each other. I had met the founder of Team BRIT, Dave Player, a few times,” Aaron says “so, when I got an email from him asking if I’d like to try out for the team I obviously jumped at the chance, I’d have been stupid not to! It went really well, and Dave asked if I’d like a seat in the Aston Martin.” And, as they say, the rest is history.
Leaving disability behind on the track
What is it about motorsport that gives Aaron such a buzz? It turns out it’s not just the lure of speed. “I love the speed and the competitive nature of motorsport but I’ve also made some fantastic friends throughout my racing career. Even though I’m disabled now, motorsport gives me a chance to compete against other racers on a completely level playing field. When I get into the race car my wheelchair gets left behind in the pit and it’s just me and the car. It feels like I leave my disability behind.”
Unfortunately, there was a world of difference between the success and freedom Aaron enjoyed in his racecar to the independence he had in his own home. In his car, he felt free of the constraints that he continued to experience in his own home. Until he took delivery of a domestic lift from Stiltz.
And leaving disability behind when at home too
“All the stress of worrying about getting upstairs has gone. I no longer have to rely on anyone to help me.”
Aaron had moved into a lovely newly-built home with his partner but the two storeys meant getting up the stairs could only happen if someone else was in the house. It made him feel as if he was a prisoner in his own home. This contrasted dramatically with the ground-breaking racing he was taking part in alongside able-bodied drivers. The Stiltz home lift has changed all that, and he is quick to point out how things have improved. “I’m far more independent now. I work from home, and I can go upstairs if I need to. I’m not stuck downstairs all day.” And on a more personal note, he adds “It’s lovely that I can tuck my stepson in and read him a bedtime story – I’ve not been able to do that before; it feels as if I have the same freedom in my home as I have on the track.” It’s clear that it’s not just Aaron benefiting from his domestic lift but the impact is felt by the rest of the family too.
On a practical level, Aaron felt the installation process went extremely smoothly. “It was so easy. A surveyor came and assessed the house, suggested various places the homelift could go, and once we had decided on that, everything proceeded as planned. There was minimal impact on our lives.” He talks about how impressed his friends are, “my mates love Stiltz Home Lifts – they come in and all want a go in the lift,” he laughs. “The aesthetics are great,” he adds, “it’s really pleasing to the eye which is important to me.”
Moving up a gear
All this could not have come at a better time for Aaron as his life is about to get busier. Along with working from home for an IT company (who also sponsor him), he and Team BRIT are embarking on the next level of racing by entering the British GT Championship in 2022. This is where Aaron gets to compete alongside the very best.
“Since I joined Team BRIT the highlights just keep coming. Each year has gone better than any of us could have expected. With Team BRIT’s industry-leading adapted controls, everything in the car is operated by hand control technology”. But aside from that, there are no special allowances. Aaron competes at the same high-octane level as the able-bodied racers on the track. 2022 will also see him swap his Aston Martin V8 Vantage for a McLaren 570S; a new challenge that he embraces with relish. After this, the big goal is to take part in the gruelling Le Mans 24 Hours.
But until then, there is lots of work to be done. And there is a poignant date that Aaron is especially keen to mark, “I will be on the grid, waiting to start my first race in the McLaren at the British GT Championship next Easter weekend exactly 15 and a half years from the date of the accident which left me paralysed.” But instead of feeling saddened, he is excited by the opportunity to be fulfilling his potential with Team BRIT.
Giving back
Being the energetic dynamo he is, Aaron still manages to find time around racing, work and family life to take on charity challenges. “I love challenging myself so in 2019 I did the Reading Half Marathon and I really enjoyed it.” This was followed by two more half marathons for his chosen charities the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and the British Heart Foundation. “I also did the Great North Run and the Silverstone half, both great days out and gave me the opportunity to raise money for good causes”.
They say you can’t keep a good man down and with Aaron there is undoubtedly a fizz of positivity and energy that powers him forward. We are proud that a Stiltz home lift has handed Aaron back the freedom of his home so he can enjoy his independence there as much as he does on the track.
