Rally co-driver Alex Gelsomino says he’s lucky to have had a nearly three-decade career in a sport that has allowed him to travel the world and given him the gift of meeting his wife. The 48-year-old started his professional journey at age 18 when he took a co-driver course in his hometown of Palermo, Sicily. He did his first rally race a couple of weeks later and spent the next three years learning the ropes. Then, at age 21, he moved to Florida.

After taking a few years to learn English and adjust to his new life, Gelsomino broke into the amateur American rally scene. In 2005, after about a decade, he became the co-driver for professional rally driver Ken Block, and the two have been a team ever since.