My TT

“Bikes have always been in my family. My dad commutes to work on his bike and my cousin races cars. As soon as I was old enough it just seemed natural to go for my licence.

“When I left school I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do so I took a year out to decide. By the end of the year I was sure I wanted to be a racer. But I knew I needed to know how to fix a bike so I took a mechanics course and got a job in a dealership. After that I got my ACU licence and went on a few track days to start me off.

“I’m really excited about my first TT. The first few nights have been brilliant. I’m a bit disappointed that I am so slow at the moment but I need to get in a clear lap. I had a few troubles on practice. I’ve been doing laps during the day to get used to the course.

“I came over earlier on in the year to work with Milky Quayle, the TT Rider Liaison Officer. He took me around the course a few times and showed me what I should be doing and where. He is brilliant and it’s been really helpful to have his input.

“I’ve grown up knowing about the TT so to actually be here racing this year is really exciting. I worked as a mechanic in the pit lane in 2000 and I used to work with Tim Leece who was a TT rider. 

“I’ve never watched the racing from the track; I was always stuck in the pits. I suppose that’s a good thing now I’m racing. It would have looked too scary from the roadside!

“The TT is always something you want to do if you are a bike racer; I feel more confident now which is why I am having a go on the roads.

“Obviously the fact that I am a woman does mean people make comments but it’s no different to when I started riding a bike. Everyone is always surprise that I am a girl! I’m just one of the lads at the end of the day; I just get on with it.”