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Tag: Sarah Khan
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A triumph against the odds: Sarah Khan is 2024 vice champion in TVS ladies class
Bengaluru, 10 October 2024: In a brutal display of resilience and determination, Sarah Khan has secured the title of vice-champion in the prestigious TVS One-Make Championship braving odds head on. She clinched victory in the final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship, a feat made remarkable as she competed with a fractured wrist.
Sarah Khan with her 2024 Trophy The 2024 season began on a high note for Sarah, with a decisive win in the first round. However, the journey to the championship podium was far from smooth. In Round 2, some technical issues hindered her performance where she finished in third position. Round 3 presented another setback, with Sarah starting from the last on the grid due to a penalty but finished a fighting fourth. Yet, it was in Round 4 that the greatest challenge arose. During the race, Sarah suffered a crash, resulting in a fractured wrist. Despite the injury, she refused to quit.
After the race was red-flagged, Sarah rejoined the competition, starting from the pitlane and defying the odds, he finished in P7. It was a gritty performance, one that showcased her unrelenting spirit. Even with the fractured wrist, she was determined to continue racing.
In the final round, Round 5, Sarah made a remarkable comeback. Despite struggling with her pace due to wrist pain, she qualified in P5. However, Sarah fought through the adversity and delivered a spectacular performance. In a hard-fought battle, she claimed victory in the race, securing enough points to finish the season as the vice-champion.
Sarah Khan with the machines that she raced in 2024 Reflecting on the season, Sarah acknowledges that none of it would have been possible without the unwavering support of her mom and brother. “I wasn’t even sure if I’d be able to race this season.” Sarah said. “But their support gave me the strength to keep going. It’s funny to think that there was a time when they were against me to become a motorcycle racer but now I’m happy they’re very proud.”
The season has been a journey of highs and lows, but through it all, Sarah demonstrated a remarkable ability to persevere in the face of adversity. With a vice-champion tag to her name and an inspiring story to match, Sarah Khan has scripted a remarkable journey in the 2024 TVS One-Make Championship.
Note: This article is part of Indian ‘Women in Motorpsots’ series which profiles the best performances of women riders and drivers of the 2024 season.
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Sarah Khan, fighting the odds to shine in bike racing: A profile
A series of Special articles and profiles of promising riders and drivers will be published for all fmsci National championship till the season begins. Here is the first…
Bengaluru, 2 Jan 2024: Sarah Khan began the 2023 season with a podium in the TVS One-Make Championship (OMC) ladies class at the Rolon Round, the first round of the MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship for two-wheelers 2023 which concluded at the Kari Motor Speedway in June first week.
Rookie Sarah Khan, who gave a tough fight to celebrated champions in the very first year of her participation in the MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship 2022, finally ended up third in the Championship due to lack of exposure and experience, but the determined lady rider worked hard and won many hearts with her perseverance. Amidst all the competition, one rider who silently improved every round as she notched up a podium every time she took part in a race is Sarah Khan. She began with a third place in the first round itself and went on to become the 2nd runner up National Championship and bagged a total of 11 podiums overall in her rookie season itself.
Sarah Khan is a modest, soft-spoken girl in early twenties. She is born on February 19, in the last year of the last millennium, in a traditional Muslim family. Behind the tall athlete’s humble appearance, lies a strong will to achieve and the reason is her passion for speed. A dedicated and hardworking biker, she worked hard to save every penny after acquiring a Bachelor of Business Management degree in Mumbai’s MMK College of Commerce and Economics. Without a single penny in her pocket, she started to fund her motorsports activities on her own by trading stocks, working hard to save every rupee. Striving to be a high-performance motorsports athlete, competing with men on equal footing, she overcame many hardships both at home at the tracks to pursue a career that is not easy for girls.
“The spark for me is the feeling of thrill and speed. And the adrenaline rush that pumps up my blood. Racing gives me a sense of being alive, a genuine happiness. Despite the struggles and hurdles, I cannot quit racing or do something else. I feel like it’s in my blood… intricately woven into my soul. All I think about is racing all day, everyday… That’s just how my brain is wired,” says Sarah, the eternal optimist.
The struggles she went through to make her childhood dream a reality did not deter her. Her perseverance conquered and she finally made her racing debut in 2022, at the Mecca of Racing in India, the Madras International Circuit. Despite coming from a non-motorsport background and having no support, she opted for racing and made it on her own, traditionally considered a man’s world and she is breaking all stereotypes, which the MIC is known for, promoting many a woman from traditional communities.
“I have genuine love for racing. And I could not keep quiet. I did fight hard to get out of the house to race. It made me stronger. And I will continue to race, even when I turn old, as long as I am physically fit. Later, too, I plan on train young riders with a similar dream, who aspire to be great one day. I just want to race at the highest platform possible on earth,” she says. What she does not say is, she threatened her family that she will leave the house, if anyone tries to come in her way of becoming a racing athlete. A reluctant loving mother had no choice but to agree.
Thus began a career, which broke all the stereotypes.“Being stubborn towards my dream was the only way to make it happen,” says Sarah. The struggle behind her journey is one of the reasons for her determination to win.
