2-time DTM champion for Audi Sport, Timo Scheider, competed in his 250th race weekend behind a steering wheel at the recent 4th round of the 2013 DTM racing season, with his father Wolfgang having followed his son’s lengthy career throughout its duration and filming every outing on the race track. However the 34-year-old was a very busy man even before the racing on track took precedent, and then the weekend flew by for the German driver.
Along with BMW’s Timo Glock and Mercedes-Benz’s Christian Vietoris, Timo was also present at the official handing over of the cheques in the Heinrichsplatz in Meißen to the mayors of the three respective cities that the ITR and DTM manufacturer teams have pledged to assist in providing EUR 300,000 of aid to those affected by the catastrophic flooding.
Timo, who has also been a victim of house flooding, himself showed that the aid is more like an obligation in many ways, and openly talked about his experiences of such a catastrophe: “When I am walking through the city here and see that one shop after another was flooded and all the people’s belongings have floated off, it is difficult to tell the people: Just believe that everything will be all right again. Once, I was affected by flooding in my house, too, and I was standing there with tears in my eyes. You are just left without a chance against the forces of nature. But it is a good thing for our country how everybody is lending a helping hand.”
But one major cause was the forefront of the charitable work that Scheider does, is his involvement with the “Wings For Life” Foundation, founded by Red Bull that looks to aid the cure of spinal cord injury for future generations, and is helping programs around the world to make it a better place for those affected by such conditions resulting from genetic disorders and major accident trauma.
Timo is a keen cyclist, with the road being a main aid in his preparation for the extreme challenges behind the wheel of an Audi RS5 DTM on the track, but he was ready to help a fellow ambassador, hand cyclist Lars Hoffman, who is a paraplegic athlete.
The German was attempting to break the world record for completing a marathon distance on his specially configured bike within an hour. Scheider was happy to assist and provide welcome motivation to Hoffman over the last 3 of thirteen laps around the Lausitzring, with an average speed of more than 45 km/h being achieved throughout the attempt. Timo had one mere sentence to show respect and admiration for Hoffman, who is a great ambassador in his own right for “Wings For Life”: “An exceptional achievement that can serve as encouragement to many people.”
This weekend showed that it was more than the racing, as we all are part of the human condition, where strength in numbers and spirit can always make the world a better place. Those in such a privileged position, like Timo, always give back when they can, as the little things in life like a smile and a helping hand goes a long way to making someone’s experience that little bit more magical….
