When it comes to sports, Jamaica is easily synonymous with speed and breaking records, names such as Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Veronica Campbell-Brown, and of course Usain Bolt.

Jamaica, dubbed land of speed, is recognised for being blessed with an abundance of talent, and if you are searching for the next big thing from the island, you need not look further than our newest sensation race car driver – Sara Misir of MisiRebel racing.

The multitalented Misir is on track to become the next sporting star from the island after becoming the first female from the Caribbean to advance to the finals of the Formula Woman competition.

Speaking with SLEEK JAMAICA MEDIA during a recent interview, the former equestrian turned racer, shared her journey from Olympics hopeful to championship speed racer and now history maker.

Misir, 23, who is one of the fastest rising talents in Jamaican motorsports, has not only raced into the hearts of fans but has also compelled the respect of her peers, despite only taking on the sport six years prior to her groundbreaking feat.

However, her sojourn into racing had a fortuitous start. The then 17-year-old Sara was tipped as a future medalist in the Olympics Equestrian before an acrimonious incident with one horse resulted in her departure from the discipline.

“I originally was riding horses and that was my goal – to go the Olympics in Equestrian but unfortunately with a tragic accident, I was unable to ride for a bit because I got kicked in the face by a horse,” Misir told SLEEK.

Despite the painful experience, she explained that the incident created more of a concern for her family than herself in returning to the sport.

Despite the devastating setback, her drive to leave a lasting legacy in Jamaican sports was more than a simple metaphorical thought but was taken literally when her father Rugie Misir encouraged her to try her hand at motor racing.

“It left more of an impact on my family, especially my father, so he pushed motorsports because he has a very long history in motorsports,” she shared.

Mr Misir, who was a noted personality in the field, was a guide to Sara’s gradual transition into a sport with a different type of horsepower.

Despite the support and expertise on hand, the transition from poise and grace to speed and tactical aggression still proved to be an interesting learning curb.

“I fell in love with go-karting the moment I tried it, but it was very difficult… was a lot of ups and downs, going from a sport where I was top in and top of my game and moving very fast in, and then going into go-karting which I knew nothing of,” she told SLEEK. “It was very hard because I was always at the back always losing for like two years continuously,” she added.

The precocious talent, however, showed resolve and trusted the process which eventually yielded fruitful results.

“Throughout the hard work and perseverance, it came to be where now I’m allowed to compete in this competition called ‘Formula Woman’, which is a competition for a GT spot in the McLaren team on the British Championship in the UK,” Misir said.

She noted that being one of less than a handful of female drivers on the island, it was a hard earn for respect amongst her more experienced male peers. However, as her skill level and confidence grew, so too did the respect by competition.

“There is a very hostile environment when a woman enters a male-dominated sport from my own experience,” Misir said. “When I race overseas, the men are very quiet to themselves, they don’t really talk to us,” she added.

“I remember my first time racing. I used to come out with my infamous ‘tek pass bwoy’… and it was very intimidating. The other driver would look at the car and shove it, like who does she think she is?” she noted.

“On the track, it was very aggressive. I remember people used to penalise me and want me being out of their class for being overly aggressive,” she shared.

“ I remember a time where I used to drive, they tried to run me off the track or into a wall,” she remembered. “There were moments where I was on the track but I held my ground,” she continued.

“There were even moments where I had to come face to face with other men, like show them, like listen… I don’t care if you’re gonna push me around, I’m here to stay,” she said. “It’s funny… that year I won the championship,” Misir exclaimed.

“I think here in Jamaica I’ve gained a bit of respect but it’s still a work in progress because I’m young and still have ways to go,” she said. “A lot of them have been there for a lot longer than me, not just for me being female but as a racer,” Misir continued.

The earned respect has gradually shifted the environment around amongst her peers where it’s more jovial and less aggressive towards her on track as she is now slowly being recognised as an equal.

The multitalented driver prides herself on being unique, in fact, she embraces the recognition of being the female on the track and lets you know it through her flamboyant designs on her car.

Her trademark ‘Tek Pass Bwoy’ graphic on the back of her car has become an attraction in itself, which represents not only the excitement she brings but her confidence and personality to track.

This was also a major influence in why she opted to add a pink facelift to her car to make it clear the rose among the thorns. But make no mistake you could still get pricked with the wrong move.

“I added a pink stripe. As you can see, it has a lot of pink so when I’m on the track you know it’s a girl,” Misir pointed out.

Her steady rise among the ranks of local and regional racers aided her selection for the Formula Woman racing fellowship, which is a global initiative to get more females into racing by Formula 1.

Of the over 10,000 applications sent in from over 30 countries, Sara’s entry was among the standouts to qualify her for the final stages of the evaluation where she now competes with 800 other hopefuls.

The application process itself entailed very a rigorous set of activities which included physical and mental exercises, test trials with go-karts as well as cars. They were also interviews and a written exam component associated with the requirements for evaluations.

A win for her would see her gain a yearlong fellowship working and learning from some of the top female racers globally as well opportunities to possible contracts.

Overall, at the end of the day, she wants to use the platform and the network to enhance and create opportunities for Jamaican racing, especially female drivers.

“My goal is to bring Formula Woman for the next year of competition, to have an assessment here in Jamaica, for Jamaican women,” Misir shared.

The gesture shows the type of character Jamaica is known for, where she does not aspire for personal greatness, but to be a catalyst for her fellow countrywomen, and men.

A win for Sara is definitely a checkered flag moment for Jamaica.