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nelson mandela bay's family lifestyle
author:
xandre van der berg
vicki racing
photography:
zuko, lifegate photography
issue:
8, summer 2008
Karting is the form of motorsport where the vast majority of current and former Formula 1 Grand Prix drivers started their racing careers. It is a male dominated sport, with no female division. Despite this, feisty Vicki Kemp of Nelson Mandela Bay conquered this male world, becoming the first female to ever win a National title and the only female to have qualified and take part in the CIK KF2 World Championships that was held in La Conca, Italy, in September of this year. She is an exceptional girl, a powerful role-model and only seventeen years old. Vicki recalls how she became involved with this sport. “When I was ten, my dad, Eugene, started Karting as a hobby. We always went with him to the track and it wasn't long before I was hooked. I nagged my father to give me a chance to try it out and eventually he agreed. After those first few laps on the track I just knew this was me. I had to convince my dad that I was serious about racing, he could not resist and bought me my own kart.” At that time there were very few girls competing, certainly none challenging the boys for podium positions. Motor Sport South Africa strictly controls the competition. Karts are all weighted with ballasts, so that when racing, all competitors, including their karts, have exactly the same weight. Being a girl creates no advantage. It is about skill, dedication and determination. “Earning the respect of my fellow male competitors was no easy task. I reverted to the one thing in Motor Sport that is indisputable – defeating them on the track.” It took Vicki and her team a full year of hard work and many laps behind the wheel of her kart to achieve competitiveness at regional level. Halfway through year three, they achieved the same at national level. “Karting is a team sport. Without a skilled mechanic and race engineer no driver will be able to achieve anything. Communication between the driver and race engineer is critical. You are competing for one tenth of a second and any move on set-up, in the wrong direction, can be disastrous.” Being competitive is one thing, but being able to win and win consistently, eventually taking a national title – is an entirely different ball game, one at which Vicki is very good at. In Karting, the National Championships are made up of four rounds of three heats, hosted on four very different tracks across South Africa. “In 2007 when I won the National Junior Rok Championship, we had races in Port Elizabeth, Pietermaritzburg, Vereeniging and Zwartkops.” Karting is not a sport for the faint hearted. “You fly around the track at speeds in excess of 120 km/h, just 10 mm off the ground. A while back I did a bungee jump at Bloukranz – it was nothing in comparison to the exhilaration of flying across the black top.” Fitness and exercise forms a vital part to complete the package that is racing. A racing driver needs a lot of stamina and concentration. “You have to be alert with a high level of physical fitness, even more so if you are a girl competing in a boy's world. I train with a fitness trainer and employ a sport-psychologist to assist with mental preparation and concentration. Supplements and nutrition is also important. I try to keep my diet more alkaline based and avoid acidic foods.” Vicki is not just racing. “I love my friends, family and social life. I believe that having fun is what makes it worthwhile. I have gained so much from Motor Sport. It has given me the opportunity to travel to many different places, meeting interesting people. It has given me confidence and I hope I have gained some maturity, through facing real trials. I think taking part in a sport is essential to a healthy lifestyle. It is boredom, a poor self image and a lack of tangible goals that mostly lead teenagers into problems such as alcohol abuse and drugs. What is the greatest about Karting is that it is an opportunity for a family to do something as a team. My father and mother support me all the way and we've had fantastic times at the track. If you're a girl and want to participate in Motor Sport, the easiest way to convince your parents, is to explain to them that no other sport will allow them to spend as much time with you.” In 2009 Vicki is planning to compete in the Volkswagen Polo Cup National Series on the Main Circuit. “I am seventeen. I've been doing this for more than six years. This is the next step.” Adrian Scholtz of Motorsport South Africa believes Vicki is one of the leading drivers in South African Karting. “What makes her achievements so very noteworthy is the fact that she made it big in a male dominated sport. There is no doubt that she has helped to show other young girls what is possible.” “If you're a female in a male dominated sport – never give up your femininity, it is who you are. And if you want to succeed, remember: you have to fail! Failure teaches you what to do next time and how to deal with success.” Let's hope this fun loving adrenalin junky from Pearson High School, inspire some more girls to take on the boys and challenge them for podium positions.
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