In a deeply rooted patriarchal society, where women are not even permitted to pursue their passion, here is one young woman who’s ruling in a male-dominated world. Meet Sneha Sharma.
This Mumbai-based 24-year-old is not only a professional pilot but also a professional kart racer.
How it all began
When Sneha was 16, she went kart racing for fun. She fell in love with the tracks, the car, the speed and the control she had. “From that time, I wanted to take it up on a professional level. There was some energy that pulled me towards the tracks. I found out about professional courses I could do but there were none.”
Since there were no options for Sneha, she began to practice on her own and asked one of the men at the kart field to train her to get better.
From passion to profession
Sneha started training at the age of 17 and it’s been two years now since she has been racing at the professional level.
While this open-wheel motorsport is quite popular abroad, in India, it has limited scope especially for women who are expected to pursue mainstream professions and are not encouraged to fulfill their dreams.
For Sneha too, the ride was a bumpy one. But she was unfazed.
“I have been racing for a while now and I won’t deny that it has been difficult. There have been days when I have been on the tracks with college textbooks and it’s not the best sight. But that’s how it is,” she shares.
Since racing isn’t a conventional profession, initially, Sneha’s parents didn’t support her decision to pursue kart racing. She had to try really hard to get a nod from them. “I had to jump walls and create imaginary friends, even situations, to convince my folks at home to let me go practice. Eventually, it all worked out fine,” she recalls.
Health Woes
Being on the tracks is not easy. The fear of injuries is just too many. Sneha too had her fair share of injuries. A woman of grit, she recovered from a severe neck injury and a cracked rib. Sneha says, “Racing requires a lot of strength training. Core strength is extremely important. I have actually had to work out tremendously to keep up with the demands of the sport.”
A typical day in Sneha’s life
Her daily routine consists of 13 hours of flying (Sneha is a pilot with Indigo airlines) and two and a half hours of dedicated fitness training.
“I try and break down my activities into segments. I do push-ups, weights, swimming and even power yoga to keep up with the pace. I think time management too is a great skill that I have mastered,” shares Sneha.
Awards and recognition
With her undying zeal and hard work, Sneha has earned the tag of ‘India’s fastest lady’ at the ‘Mercedes Young Star Driver’s program. She also has to her credit six race victories and nine runner-up positions in Karting. Her very first formula car race at the JK Tyre National Karting Championship in 2009 saw her in full form scoring a four-stroke category. She got her first break in one of the national teams while pursuing her flying course and was approached by Rayo Racing to participate in the National Karting Championship.
Breaking the stereotype
This gender bender who considers Ayrton Senna as her role model is not shy to share that, “Even though women are not considered as good drivers, she did beat a lot of men on the track, with my feisty racing spirit”.
“Once I am wearing my helmet and am behind the wheels I am just a driver; gender doesn’t really matter. But, the racing life isn’t easy,” she adds.
Her best moment on the track? At the 2008 JK Tyre Rotax Rookie Race, when she started last and finished second on the podium. “There were technical issues and so I started late in the race. But that was one proud moment for me,” she says.
Around the world
Sneha has travelled around the country, for various races. “I have also participated in the Buddh International Circuit, in New Delhi. I have travelled to Chennai, Hyderabad and Goa. I have also been invited to Colombo, Malaysia and Europe, but I want to be better and more competitive in spirit, before I step on foreign land”.
#FreedomRedefined
For Sneha, freedom means the right to pursue every dream and follow your heart. “The fact that you don’t need to do anything fancy to be yourself is important. Being true to yourself is the best feeling ever and nothing beats being able to do what you want.”
In the lead up to the Independence Day celebrations, this is the second in our series of #FreedomRedefined stories. We are looking for more stories of women who broke free from the shackles of society’s stereotypes and suppression. Write to us on idivaeditor@gmail.com if you know of such women or if you have a story to tell.
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