“The greatest motivation comes from within you.” - Jasmine’s story

Jasmine is just a racer girl kicking ass in a male-dominated world. And while that’s certainly a feat in and of itself, it didn’t come without challenges. That’s where fitness came in. Fitness became Jasmine's refuge from performance pressures, boosting her self-confidence and unexpectedly revealing the supportive community she didn’t know she was missing. Here’s her story:

“Being a female in a male-dominated sport came with challenges before I’d even started: a lack of role models. This meant I didn’t see people like me competing in a sport that I loved, and it took me many years to gain the confidence to start.

Sadly, I quickly learned that people can have a lot to say about someone breaking the norm. But my motivation to prove them wrong fuelled my determination to win.”

“Weight is a very big factor in racing. Hamilton said in 2019, even one kilo overweight can cost him two seconds, and Alex Albon, the tallest driver on the grid, weighs just 66 kg at 185 cm. I’ve always been quite tall too, so staying fit to minimize my weight is my main goal as a racing driver.”

“My Dad became a type 1 diabetic as a result of catching Coronavirus. It’s been a big change for him to adapt to, but it's also motivated me to eat healthier and try new recipes with him.

I eat lots of fruit and vegetables! I love to start the day with a fruit smoothie and snack on veggies throughout the day, either while studying or at the track.

I also try to prioritize sleep. Throughout my training I’ve learned that although the recommended amount of sleep is 8 hours, we spend a lot of time throughout the night awake without realizing as we drift in and out of consciousness. So for me, I always try to get 9 hours.

When it comes to training, I try to mix it up! Doing the same workouts and routines can become quite repetitive, which makes staying motivated difficult. I like to try new exercises which also improves my overall fitness, for instance, swapping my cardio from a run to a swim!

Finally, as a data-driven person, I collect data on how my everyday activities affect my recovery. I find morning sunlight and consistent sleep and wake times very beneficial and include them into my daily routine.”

“Being a student as well as an athlete can result in a lot of pressure. Workouts help me to relieve stress from school, especially during exams, helping me to focus better either in school or on the track!

My fitness training has also helped to improve my self-discipline. Everyone has days when they’d rather stay in bed or start tomorrow, but seeing results keeps me motivated to push through tough times, both in training and in life.

And since starting my fitness journey, I’ve been overwhelmed with the amount of positivity and support from the fitness community. I’ve made so many friends throughout my training who help me to push and improve myself.”

“Starting my motorsport journey relatively late has made it hard to compete against athletes with many years more experience, I’ve had to work hard and push myself to reach a competitive level, and I’m proud of how far I’ve come and how quickly I’ve been able to adapt to new challenges!

It’s important to remember that everyone starts somewhere, and your starting point might be someone else’s goal and vice versa. I learned as a junior athlete that it can be so easy to compare yourself to others, but the greatest motivation comes from within you. Do it for you and your goals, and focus on becoming 1% better every day!”