About six months ago, Katrina Ee had a scary crash. This happened while the Hong Kong-Malaysian karting champion was racing in the United Kingdom at the time.
“[The kart] flipped on the track, and I landed on the back of my shoulder, and I broke the bone,” said Katrina, 15.
She said she had lost some memory from before the crash.
“I woke up; I was in the hospital. I don’t even remember ... doing practice,” she said.
The young racer had to stop karting for about eight weeks. She was lucky to only suffer a broken shoulder.
But Katrina was drawn to the sport despite the dangers.
In the last three years, she has become a regional karting champion.
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Living her dream
Katrina started karting at the age of seven after she visited a track while on holiday in Malaysia. She loved “the thrill, the speed and the adrenaline rush” of the sport.
“I really enjoyed all of that competitiveness and being fearless,” she said.
Katrina grew up in Hong Kong, where the karting community is small. She moved to Malaysia at the age of 10 to pursue a career in the sport.
She has also stopped going to a traditional school. From this academic year, she started attending Minerva Virtual Academy, an online international school for athletes.
“It helps me to balance my classes,” she said. She added she could do her schoolwork at her own speed.
Still, she knows she will never have a normal secondary school experience.
“I don’t get to have the high-school teenager life that most of my friends back in Malaysia do,” the Year 10 student said. “I know I sacrificed so much.”
But the hard work and sacrifices have paid off for Katrina, who has won several junior Asian titles since the age of 12. She said these wins were some of her proudest moments.
Racing as a girl
Another reason she feels so motivated to improve as a racer is to “beat the boys”.
“It’s just really nice to break boundaries as a driver and especially as a girl,” she said.
The sport remains male-dominated. Katrina wants to make a statement and show what she can do as a female racer. But she has faced some resistance.
“I’ve had a few times where I was on track, and I was getting pushed off by the boys ... because it would be embarrassing to lose [to a girl], right?” she said. “It makes me more motivated to push them off.”
Katrina does not let the experience bring her down.
“Gender doesn’t really matter. It’s just about yourself. You can’t really compare or care about the people around you,” the young champion said.
Katrina is proud to represent Malaysia as a female driver. More young women and girls are also taking part in karting. She said she felt the sport was becoming much more “supported by women”.
Katrina hopes to one day become a successful Formula One driver. Until then, she will continue to show her strength and work ethic.
“As a driver that I am, I’m never going to give up,” she said. “I just try to stay as positive as I can and just persevere no matter how hard it is.”
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Why this story matters: Katrina is making her mark as a girl in a sport that is often practised by boys. She shows other young girls that they can chase their sporting dreams and overcome challenges.
