“You accomplish victory step by step, not by leaps and bounds,” Lyn St James, a former female race car driver said.
Last summer, I took my first step towards my dream when I stumbled across an Instagram post about an organization called “Path to Pits.” This organization helps young students find opportunities to grow and learn about the motorsports world—a passion I’ve been nurturing since 2021.
My love for motorsports began that year, during the intense championship battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. As I watched the season unfold, I knew one thing for sure: I wanted to work in motorsports. But what exactly would I do?
Like me, many others are passionate about motorsports, but don’t know how to break into the industry—especially women. According to Forbes, less than 10% of all motorsports participants around the world are females. Also, according to Autosport, Formula 1 has seen just five female drivers in its 74 years of recorded history.
That’s where Women in Motorsports North America (WIMNA) comes in. The organization is dedicated to recognizing women in motorsports and fostering the growth of the next generation who want to make their mark.
While browsing the Path to Pits website, I found a flyer for an event called “WIMNA: Electrify Your Career.” I clicked the link and signed up. A month later, I received an email: I had been invited to attend.
“Electrify Your Career” was an opportunity for women interested in motorsports to visit the World Endurance Championship (WEC) Paddock, network with professionals, and learn more about the inner workings of the motorsports industry.
Day one, Aug. 30, began with an introduction to WIMNA, followed by a small career workshop among the attendees. We then had the opportunity to tour the Porsche Penske garage and hear from Porsche professionals about their career paths. We ended the day with visiting the race control room and meeting the stewards and race directors.
Day two, we explored the support paddock, which included IMSA and the Ford Mustang Challenge series. We toured Lamborghini’s hospitality area, as well as their trailers. We also toured McLaren’s trailers, and later the Cadillac garage in the main paddock. Ford even surprised us with an opportunity: handing out trophies after the Mustang Challenge race. I was honored to present the trophies for the Mustang Challenge Dark Horse and Dark Horse Legend series.
The event’s design encouraged us to network and learn about the inner workings of motorsports, while also providing a sense of community among women with similar goals and dreams. Prior to the event, I did not know of anyone who also shared the same goals as me, but now I have a whole group who are supporting each other to achieve their dreams.
Race day on Sunday, Sept. 1, was a more independent experience for each of us. I started the day by visiting the Cadillac garage again, where they had agreed to let me bring in a small camera for a few shots. Afterward, I joined the pit walk for the driver’s signing and ended my day watching the race from the paddock club.
I was absolutely thrilled to immerse myself in the motorsports world in such diverse ways. Having always been curious about different aspects of the industry, this event allowed me to truly understand the importance of opportunities like these.
Seeing, firsthand, what my future career could look like was both eye-opening and reassuring. It made me even more determined to pursue my passion and be grateful for the support of organizations like WIMNA, which open doors for women like me.