Dakar, Senegal (Global)_It’s definitely a moment which will go down in the history books of drag racing. Senegalese amateur racer Fatumata Bah raced to the finish line at what was the very first ‘Dakar Grand Prix’ as it is called, beating four men and four women to triumph in this male-dominated sport.
With this win, Bah disproved two theories – that she can just as easily as any man navigate a grand prix circuit and she debunked gender stereotyping which is widely prevalent in motor racing.
This very first Dakar Grand Prix was inspired by the famous Paris-Dakar Rally, but created on a platform of gender equality, enabling both women and men to participate as equals.
A firm believer that being a man or woman doesn’t mean anything, at the finish line Bah shouted, “This is the 21st century – Girl Power!”
It was Bah’s father who encouraged his daughter to share his interest in cars. She first went behind the wheel to race twenty years ago and took her love for racing further, when she married a car mechanic who is also her coach. It was to these role models in her life that she dedicated her trophy to, acknowledging that being men, they encouraged and supported her to follow a passion in an area that is very male-dominated and reserved only for males.
Bah has worked at the SOS Children’s Village organization since she quit her banking career and it is to the SOS Village that she donated her winnings to. Determined to shine a light on underprivileged children who, for the most part have little encouragement to pursue their dreams, she said, “This cup is to show them that everything is possible in life. If you have courage and perseverance, you can do it.”
