Ever since she climbed into a kart with her Dad at age 14, Grace Hemmerde never stopped wanting to drive. She fulfilled her desire to become a professional racing driver when she turned 21. That year she had a crash during her first race, went through the almost impossible search for sponsors and suffered the loss of her father, but none of that held her back. In 2016 she gained second place in the Regional Kart Championship and became a national kart champion in the Senior B category. She was selected by the FIA to obtain a prize at the "FIA Americas Awards" in Mexico City and now represents Peru in the Association of Women in Motorsport, which promotes the presence of women in this sport.
“For me, the school was very important in my formation as an individual. It taught me many things, but what I value the most is that it taught me to be disciplined, which is always essential for achieving the goals we set ourselves.
It is not easy to practice a sport professionally, study, work and go out to look for sponsors. I think that at age 25 I have succeed in doing so, having learned to manage my time and organize myself. I remember that not all the courses were easy for me in school, but it taught me that, under certain life circumstances, we must try harder to achieve our goals. One of my goals today, besides becoming a better kart racer every day, is for my lifestyle to be an example for other women, so that they, and society in general, will stop thinking that it is a rare thing for a woman to be behind the wheel.”
Finally, the teachers who inspired and marked my life, people who went beyond the subjects taught in each class, friends who became family and the sense of community accompany me to this day. Those great twelve years at San Silvestre have given me a lot to be grateful for.”
