Since I was very young, my parents brought me to the Indianapolis 500-mile race. At first it was just a nice place to get a nap in. But as I got older I noticed that there were very few women in the race. I liked seeing Danica Patrick, Sarah Fisher and Milka Duno out on the track. Finally, people who looked like me in the field of 33. Back then, I just thought it was nice to see some diversity on the track. But now, I know that it was just the beginning of my story.
Last May, I was blessed with the opportunity to work for IndyCar driver, Pippa Mann for the 100ththrunning of the Indy 500. It was a dream come true, but it also showed me that women are far from equality. My first day on the track I had to pick up my credential, it should’ve been an easy no fuss task. However, when I got into the room a few men were looking at me like I didn’t belong there. I even overheard one of the men say, “I think she’s lost”, the men then proceeded to let out a chuckle. But I was there so I could work just as I presume he was doing. Now, I do get that it may have been the first time he’s seen an 18-year-old woman in a racing credential office. But he didn’t have to say anything to get a response from the other men. It is hard enough being taken seriously for my age, now I had to worry about my sex also getting in the way? But this is nothing new. There are many industries that are unfortunately dominated by men, and being the minority doesn’t exactly set you up for equality. I’ve had people come up to me at races and ask which driver I was dating, and assume that I didn’t know much about the cars or the race itself. When in reality, I’ve been going to races for 19 years and chances are I could school him on any day of the week. I’ve even had an instance when I was on pit lane and a self-proclaimed photographer shoved me out of the way for a shot. Like physically pushed me out of pit box, where I belonged. He then wondered if I was supposed to be there and what my purpose was. But even if I wasn’t supposed to be there it is never ok to shove another human being.
But instead of getting upset, I like to live by the model “Show them, Don’t tell them.” For the men that laughed at me in the credential office, I got my credential, smiled and wished them a great photo filed Month of May. To the man who thought I knew nothing about racing but what my imaginary boyfriend told me, I gave him a critical review of the current race leader and their possible race strategy for the rest of the session. Last but not least, to the man that shoved me, I let him get his photo, and once my driver got out the car she greeted me by name and walked with me to the garages. I can still see that guys mouth drop.
Ladies, we can say whatever we desire. But men are physical beings. Standing up and showing men that we are equal and belong is the only way for us to ever gain true equality. I belong on the race track and I will not stop fighting until every man views a woman working on a track as normal. I hope that one day when my niece is in the workplace there is no such thing as male dominant industries. She should be able do whatever heart desires and not face ridicule because of her sex. It’s is not just about us anymore, it’s about the little girls who are looking up to us for direction. Let’s show the world what a powerful woman is truly capable of.
Photo Credit: 1. by MariusBoatca 2. by Kayla Cezanne