Kayla Yaakov, 18, became the first woman to ever podium at the Daytona 200, finishing third in the historic motorcycle race in Daytona Beach, Fla., on March 7
NEED TO KNOW
The Pennsylvania native said the milestone came after months of sacrifice, training and time away from family
Yaakov, who hopes the achievement inspires other girls to pursue racing, said she is now aiming to fight for a top-three finish in the MotoAmerica Supersport championship
Kayla Yaakov just becamethe first womanto ever podium at the Daytona 200 — and she says she's not done making history yet.
The 18-year-old caught up exclusively with PEOPLE after placing in the top three during the March 7 event in Daytona Beach, Fla., which is one of the most famous motorcycle races in the United States.
"I was at a little bit of a loss for words, to be honest," she said while recalling the moment she realized she placed third.
"We had struggled a lot leading up to the race, and faced many disheartening challenges — but when it mattered most, I stayed composed and my Rahal Ducati Moto team gave me a great bike to fight with," she said. "Crossing the finishline felt like a huge weight was lifted off of my shoulders, and then pure joy took over."
Yaakov, who is from Gettysburg, Pa., said that the podium finish came with an immense amount of work and focus.
"I could probably write a novel with all that has led to this moment, but I can say there's been a lot of sacrifice," she said.
"I've spent countless weeks away from home and my family to train and prepare for this season. There were days that I missed out on important family events, like mylittle sister's birthday party, or even opportunities to see my friends back home," she continued.
"Over the course of the last several months there were so many days spent training, studying races, practicing and trying to improve myself. This is the sacrifice of being a professional athlete, especially at a young age, but achievements like this make it all feel worth it," she added.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Yaakov said that she's known she wanted to race professionally since she was a small child — making her most recent accomplishment all the more significant.
Advertisement
"It may sound cliché, but I would say that my love for racing began the moment I threw my leg over a bike. From the adrenaline rush, to the smell of tires and race gas, to the competitiveness of the sport, I knew even from age 4 — when I first started racing — that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life," she said.
She added that she hopes placing third in such a high-profile and historically male-dominated raceinspires other girls and young womento follow their dreams.
"I hope that what I was able to showcase at the Daytona 200 helps to break those barriers and stereotypes that were placed on me as a little girl," she told PEOPLE. "I hope to shift that stigma by giving other girls the opportunity to feel equal and accepted in the racing community without being questioned."
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
"I have been told more times than I can count that I would not be successful in my careerbecause I was a girl, and I kept my head up and never really listened to those people. I stayed driven and committed to being the best racer that I could possibly be, and I hope that I can inspire other women to do the same, whether it is in racing or outside of it in their everyday lives," she added.
As for what she hopes to do next?
"My sights are set on trying to fight for the top three positions in the MotoAmerica Supersport championship. I want to become the first woman to ever win a MotoAmerica Supersport race, and I truly feel like we're on track to do so this year," she said.
"Round 2 of our championship is right around the corner at Road Atlanta (April 17-19), so training and preparations are in full force," she added, before saying she also hopes to win a championship in MotoAmerica, win races in the Superbike category and eventually racein World Superbike.
To follow Yaakov's racing this year with Rahal Ducati Moto and Droplight, you can watch on MotoAmerica Live+ or for free on Samsung TV Plus.
Read the original article onPeople
0 Comments