'Doesn't have to be the end.' Former IndyCar driver talks triumph over tragedy in new book

HENDERSON (KTNV) — Sam Schmidt always knew he was meant to race.

"My father raced cars. He put me on a motorcycle when I was five years old. I started racing motocross, and I knew at a very young age that's what I wanted to do," Schmidt said.

WATCH | Alex Eschelman got to speak with the Henderson native to learn more about his career and how he's persevered in the face of adversity:

The Henderson native turned that childhood dream into reality, earning his first IndyCar victory in 1999 alongside his wife Shelia and their two children, Savannah and Spencer.

"Been married seven years, had a six-month-old, two-and-a-half-year-old, and felt like I was on top of the world," Schmidt said.

Not long after, Schmidt's world changed. He survived a near-fatal crash that left him paralyzed from the shoulders down.

"The neurosurgeons told Shelia if I make it a week, I will be on a ventilator and maybe one to three years find me a nursing home," Schmidt said.

The Schmidt family had other plans.

"My mom was a two-time cancer survivor, my father was paralyzed racing. They told him he would never walk or talk again. Stubborn Nebraska farm boy, he did two years of therapy five days a week, got the use of his leg back, got his speech back. If he could do it, why can't I do it? Here we are 26 years later," Schmidt said.

More than two dozen years later, Schmidt is an accomplished businessman as the founder of "Driven." He has raised millions to fund research and operate rehab centers for people recovering from brain and spinal cord injuries, regardless of insurance.

Schmidt credits much of that success to the people around him.

"Before my accident I was a chronic 'Type A' nobody could do anything as good as me, but literally overnight I was forced to delegate 100% of everything. You find the right people, they could accomplish a hell of a lot more than I could as myself, and so, depending on your definition of success — I'm way more successful since my accident," Schmidt said.

Schmidt's story is detailed in his new book, "No Finish Line: A Racer's Journey of Passion, Perseverance, and Purpose."

"There are multiple examples in the book of deciding on a goal and working my tail off anywhere from a month to two years, if you don't want to make something of your life after the tragedy it's your own choice, it doesn't have to be the end," Schmidt said.

Schmidt's book is both sold as a hard copy or an audio book. His son, Spencer, is the narrator and is following in his family's footsteps — racing professionally.

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