Lee Rannals for the Guardian
Who: 15-year-old Lizzy Berlin
Where: Kirkham Court, Barry
Why: Lizzy Berlin has just finished her motorbike racing season, so let’s talk about her. She won her age group in both the Open two-wheel race and British title. That’s enough to count her in the league of motorbike racing’s great young guns. She doesn’t like trains, she doesn’t go on rides, and she competes in off-road racing – all because her father is keen. So Lizzy decided to study history at college, and would like to do subjects such as environmental science, physics and geology.
So from the archive: the first time motorcyclists fled London at 60mph Read more
“A few days after I won my age group British titles, my dad and his partner helped me go and join a few juniors to go to Keymer for some racing,” she explains. “My dad’s boss is at Chichester circuit, so that is where I raced there. That’s where I met all the other racers. I entered six races in 12 days in September. A couple of days before I won British titles, I won my age group in Tarmac.”
So how did she begin? “My dad always watches my tracks and try to help me. He always says, ‘You need to practice and be brave. That’s the main point.’”