Susie Wolff's Dare to be Different Initiative #D2BD

Susie Wolff's Dare to be Different Initiative #D2BD

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Horsepowersoul

Original Poster:

39 posts

145 months

Sunday 17th January 2016
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Hi Guys,

If you're a woman who loves motorsport - or maybe you're proud of your motor-mad lady biggrin Perhaps you have a kid who dreams of raising trophies at race tracks all over the world. Just wanted to get a discussion going and raise awareness of Susie Wolff's Dare to be Different initiative.

Since they're better at explaining it than I am, I will copy/paste the info from a Sky Sports article with Susie herself:

"Our main aim with Dare To Be Different is to Drive Female Talent. This is an ambitious and long-term project that will build an online community of women from all over the world," said Wolff.

"It will connect them through a shared passion and empower them to become the next wave of role models, whilst also providing access to some of the most successful female names in the sport.

"Our UK events for young girls will boost awareness and demonstrate the varied and exciting areas of the sport - showing that they too can dare to be different.

"I'm proud to launch today and must thank my team and our ambassadors for their invaluable contribution and dedication to the project."

Dare To Be Different will have five headline events in 2016, starting at the Daytona karting track at Sandown Park in Surrey in April, before moving onto Nutts Corner in Northern Ireland in May, The Sports Show at the NEC in June, Scotland's Knockhill Circuit in August, finishing at Daytona karting in Manchester in September.

At the events girls will be invited sample karting, with mentoring provided by high-profile motorsport females. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network) ambassadors will also over motorsport based engineering challenges.

Sky Sports will also be present to allow each girl to try their hand at filming a piece to camera.


Also check out the D2BD website: http://daretobedifferent.org/

My only involvement so far is as an enthusiastic fan but I am hoping to contribute in some way and when I get paid on Wednesday, I'll be signing up for the networking part of it. I may not be in pro motorsport but I still have skills to offer biggrin


If there's already any discussion about this, please let me know and I'll join the existing thread. I searched but didn't find anything

Eric Mc

121,774 posts

264 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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Another go at "Formula Woman".

RobGT81

5,227 posts

185 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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Do women in motorsport want to be different? Or, seen the same as everyone else in motorsport? It's quite a confusing name for an initiative.

velocemitch

3,795 posts

219 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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Motorsport is one of the very few sports where women compete on the same footing as men and are (theoretically anyway) treated exactly the same. This can only be a good thing.
Rallying is an area where they can very easily get involved and many do with varying degrees of success on either seat in the Car.

Vocal Minority

8,582 posts

151 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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I agree entirely that more women need to be involved (and more significantly more girls at the grass roots level) and will support any initiative that helps.

(Eric alludes to Formula Woman - which is a stupid idea as it just creates segregation, which should be avoided).

In terms of wanting to be different - I think the emphasis is they don't want to be different from the men in the sport, its getting all of the 10-14 year old girls to get out of the mindset that racing is 'for boys' and bogged down in hair and makeup and other stereotypical girly pursuits.

Horsepowersoul

Original Poster:

39 posts

145 months

Monday 18th January 2016
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
Another go at "Formula Woman".
Interesting that you say that because they're being very emphatic that they're not at all interested in creating races just for women. If that's what you mean. smile


Horsepowersoul

Original Poster:

39 posts

145 months

Monday 18th January 2016
quotequote all
Vocal Minority said:
I agree entirely that more women need to be involved (and more significantly more girls at the grass roots level) and will support any initiative that helps.

(Eric alludes to Formula Woman - which is a stupid idea as it just creates segregation, which should be avoided).

In terms of wanting to be different - I think the emphasis is they don't want to be different from the men in the sport, its getting all of the 10-14 year old girls to get out of the mindset that racing is 'for boys' and bogged down in hair and makeup and other stereotypical girly pursuits.
Ah that's exactly what I wanted to say biggrinbiggrin Cheers!

DiscoColin

3,328 posts

213 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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Horsepowersoul said:
"... whilst also providing access to some of the most successful female names in the sport.
If this were going to introduce girls entering racing to the likes of Michelle Mouton, Claudia Hurtgen, Ellen Lohr, Jutta Kleinschmidt, Sabine Schmitz, Lynn St James and the Force sisters then it might be valid. However, I do fear that Susie's idea of successful women in motorsport might be more inclined to the ones that never really won anything of note... Like herself... She would be a great mentor for media training and getting to a level that her CV really didn't warrant, but...

And for female engineers then surely the best role model of the day would have to be Leena Gade - is she on Susie's list? Because if so that would lend a far greater weight of credibility that Susie.

Sorry to be cynical, but whether this is worth doing surely depends on presenting role models who genuinely show that women can succeed in motorsport to the top on merit? My concern is that if the right names were attached to this initiative then I'd have expected them to feature in the press release, which they weren't... Much as I like Susie as a media personality, I have always questioned whether someone whose profile is based on a total lack of success in 7 years of DTM and marrying Toto Wolff then getting a test seat (that she wasn't anything like the most qualified person for) in a team in which he was a major shareholder really sends the right message as an example to girls entering the sport?

Edited by DiscoColin on Monday 18th January 19:36

Horsepowersoul

Original Poster:

39 posts

145 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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Everyone is just joining up at this stage so I can't tell you who's in right now. Alice Powell and Claire Williams are right in at the sharp end for a start. It's not a set list of people, it's a fluid networking opportunity and from what I've seen so far the best people are falling over themselves to join in.

As for Susie herself, I kinda wish I'd not sent her the link to this thread now. =) I know she's awesome, I've seen her drive, I've seen her beat others in the same car, I have so much respect for her and now I've had the chance to meet her briefly I can confirm, she's as beautiful, funny and intelligent as can be. Not fair really biggrinbiggrin

She can always help a bit by teaching me on track if she likes...

But you don't have to like her... wink

drakart

1,735 posts

209 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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My girlfriend is on "the list" and I defy you to find anyone more inspiring - racing Porsches despite being paralysed after breaking her neck...

Anything that gets more females involved is only a good thing and should be applauded.

Horsepowersoul

Original Poster:

39 posts

145 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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drakart said:
My girlfriend is on "the list" and I defy you to find anyone more inspiring - racing Porsches despite being paralysed after breaking her neck...

Anything that gets more females involved is only a good thing and should be applauded.
Yessssss I have read about her but not had chance to meet her yet. proper awesome biggrinbiggrin

I am inspired for sure. I have lifelong chronic illness and every single day is a brand new fight. But it won't £/!*€ stop me. I have to work full time just to fund our cars and our amateur racing ambitions! Cant stop. When I see others fighting against disability and not just winning but winning gloriously, it makes me feel even more determined.

Eric Mc

121,774 posts

264 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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Horsepowersoul said:
Eric Mc said:
Another go at "Formula Woman".
Interesting that you say that because they're being very emphatic that they're not at all interested in creating races just for women. If that's what you mean. smile
As it turned out, neither were "Formula Woman".

TroubledSoul

4,589 posts

193 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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Think some are missing the point here a bit. It's not dare to be different to the men in motorsport, it's dare to be different in your pursuit of a career/life. The initiative isn't just about putting girls in race cars, it's about girls with an interest in racing, engineering and all the other careers that tie into motorsport, pursuing them and not being afraid to break out of the status quo or buying into the "girls don't do that"/"it's a man's job" ideology.

PhillipM

6,515 posts

188 months

Tuesday 19th January 2016
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There is that. But then if we did a male version of this people would be up in arms.

Horsepowersoul

Original Poster:

39 posts

145 months

Tuesday 19th January 2016
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PhillipM said:
There is that. But then if we did a male version of this people would be up in arms.
Pistonheads IS the male version of this... wink

Horsepowersoul

Original Poster:

39 posts

145 months

Tuesday 19th January 2016
quotequote all
Allow me to be slightly more serious in my response to that one.

It's quite understandable that many men might not see the need for a female motorsport movement but it really is about time to have something. As a kid, I was either discouraged or outright barred from following many of my "boyish" interests, despite a lot of support from my Dad.

Isn't it shocking that it's now the year of my 40th birthday and there's still not too many women in motorsport? Things are changing and so many women have now earned a ton of respect in every area of the industry. So it's an ideal time to get together, encourage each other and see if there's any way we can achieve our dreams together.

We need this because of...
- The guy selling me a car who'll only talk to my husband even though I am asking well informed questions
- The genuinely lovely blokes that talk to my husband about my driving (in a complimentary way) but then find it hard to talk to me directly
- The garage who give me flimflam about my car, thinking I won't understand anyway and then get shirty when I politely question their b.s.
- Even some women who will stonewall me at an event but talk to the men (I really don't get this one!)

bla bla bla... I won't write any more examples because I am not here to be negative and I usually manage to turn all of these round into a positive as they happen smile Just... why should they happen at all?

I am just hi-lighting my daily experience of being a woman who loves performance cars and motorsport. It's daft that a woman be seen any differently to a man or that a man should feel uncomfortable talking to me about cars because I'm a different shape biggrin or whatever... There are insiders and outsiders in any industry but gender shouldn't be a factor in that. I hope that by telling you this, I can create better understanding.

I genuinely believe that this movement will allow females of all ages to step up, welcome each other, boost each others knowledge and confidence, showcasing our skills and creating opportunities for others to get a taste of the wonders of motorsport.

It shouldn't be necessary but the truth is, this is long overdue. Men don't need this smile One day we won't need it either but we'll probably keep going because it'll be a hell of a lot of fun biggrin I am so thrilled at the opportunity... as you can tell.

I guess it might seem like something where we're trying to close ourselves off to men but it really isn't. There's a huge amount of support from men for this and it's about breaking down the barriers not creating new ones smile

I probably shouldn't write so much because it's not MY initiative. I am just passionate about it wink Remember all I write is just my opinion, I don't represent D2BD. If you read all that... well done. biggrin

DelicaL400

516 posts

110 months

Tuesday 19th January 2016
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Horsepowersoul said:
As a kid, I was either discouraged or outright barred from following many of my "boyish" interests, despite a lot of support from my Dad.
By who?

I know several females who are involved in rallying both as competitors and in putting events on. They wanted to be involved so they got involved, simple as that, they didn't need to form some union of women to do so. It's the same in comp safari events. Is it more "anti-woman" in circuit racing?

There is already the MSA's Go Motorsport initiative which is promoting motorsport to girls AND boys. Reps are going into schools and actively getting kids involved in motorsport. From what I've seen it seems to be working. So I'm not sure what Susie's thing will add to that unless, as above, circuit racing presents a lot more barriers to getting involved than rallying/comp safari does. Doesn't the BWRDC not actively promote women in motorsport too?

It is interesting that in your previous post you commented on Susie's looks. What has that got to do with anything? Does a woman commenting on how other women look in motorsport not act as a barrier to women getting involved like "oh I'm not as beautiful as Susie so I'll stick to knitting."

PhillipM

6,515 posts

188 months

Tuesday 19th January 2016
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DelicaL400 said:
By who?

I know several females who are involved in rallying both as competitors and in putting events on. They wanted to be involved so they got involved, simple as that, they didn't need to form some union of women to do so. It's the same in comp safari events. Is it more "anti-woman" in circuit racing?

There is already the MSA's Go Motorsport initiative which is promoting motorsport to girls AND boys. Reps are going into schools and actively getting kids involved in motorsport. From what I've seen it seems to be working. So I'm not sure what Susie's thing will add to that unless, as above, circuit racing presents a lot more barriers to getting involved than rallying/comp safari does. Doesn't the BWRDC not actively promote women in motorsport too?

It is interesting that in your previous post you commented on Susie's looks. What has that got to do with anything? Does a woman commenting on how other women look in motorsport not act as a barrier to women getting involved like "oh I'm not as beautiful as Susie so I'll stick to knitting."
This, only a lot more eloquently put than I could. I have a lot of female friends racing/rallying, we're all just race drivers in the end. Pushing one sex over the other? No, thanks.

Horsepowersoul

Original Poster:

39 posts

145 months

Tuesday 19th January 2016
quotequote all
Hi guys, OK I agree to disagree about the merits of this thing. Not everyone will relate to it, while for some of us, it feels pretty awesome.

I don't want to go into exactly who stopped me doing what 30 years ago. I just wanted to offer a very high level insight into my own experience. I don't want to drill down into that publicly.

I am not saying there's full-on discrimination against women today in motorsport.

I am saying that giving women this networking opportunity feels really positive and liberating to me as an individual. It'll mean different things to different people.

I really look forward to just plain old making friends with some of these brilliant lasses. The ones I have met so far have already brightened my life and if I can give them a boost as well, it'll be great. biggrin

You picked up on my mentioning that Susie is beautiful. I can understand that you see that as commenting on her looks and that it could be negative. But in all honesty, I was not commenting on her physical appearance. I could have seen that in her photos. I mean that, in person she has the kind of brightness and charisma that shines out and lifts the people around her. That's what beauty means to me. I suppose not everyone can be exactly like that. But anyone can have a lovely personality that makes them truly beautiful. Just being around people like that is good for the soul.

But yeah. Didn't want to go on about that. Bit deep for this particular forum. wink

Again - I am just a private individual and not affiliated with the D2BD movement, just wanted to put it out there. Glad to be talking about it, it's interesting to find out what you're all thinking. Did I mention, I think it's great?


DelicaL400

516 posts

110 months

Tuesday 19th January 2016
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Horsepowersoul said:
But yeah. Didn't want to go on about that. Bit deep for this particular forum. wink
Complains about perceived sexism in motorsport.

Then suggests the population of this predominantly male forum is too stupid for deep discussion.

Brilliant.