Jess Golding is the only eponymous female karting Team Principal in the country. She’s also the last woman to have won a National Championship in asphalt sprint karting… 20 years ago.
On International Women’s Day (Saturday, March 8), Jess posted the following communication.
by Jess Golding, Jess Golding Motorsport
International Women’s Day 2025 – a day to celebrate, reflect, and push forward. We talk about a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination – a world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Motorsport is making progress, but change is slow.
I am the only woman in Australia to own and run a professional kart racing team. The only one. That’s not a complaint—it’s the reality. There are more opportunities for women in motorsport now than when I was coming through the ranks. More stepping stones, more pathways, more connections. And I look at them and think, I wish those had existed for me.
But here’s the real question: Are those opportunities built on talent? Or just gender? Motorsport is one of the few sports where men and women compete on equal footing. If you’re fast, you’re fast. And that’s what should matter.
And yes—that’s me. An Australian karting champion. One of a handful of women in Australian karting history to have won a green and gold plate in open competition:
- Paula Elstrek (1981) – Australian Champion Sub-Junior International AND (1984) Australian Champion Junior International
- Terri Sawyer (1982) – Australian Champion Sub-Juniors
- Linda Mapp (Linda Moore) (1991) – Australian Champion, J Light & J Heavy
- Natasha Jahn (1992) – Australian Champion, J Light
- Jess Golding (2005) – Australian Champion, ReSa Light
Since 2005? No woman has won an Australian Championship. Twenty years.
Motorsport is tough. The pressure, the scrutiny—it’s relentless. More so for a woman? 100%. The noise can be deafening. But I don’t do this for validation. I do this because I love it.
advertisement
Since I was a kid, karting has been my life. Now, at 36, I own and run my own team, developing the next generation. In just three years, we’ve helped hundreds of drivers secure PBs, podiums, track records. We’ve won Club Championships, State Cup Championships, State Championships. We’ve won Australian Championship heats. We’ve led an Australian Championship. And we’re just getting started!
I feel everything deeply. I’m passionate, competitive, loyal. I fight for my team. I fight for what’s right. I push hard and never, ever give up. And sometimes, that’s met with resistance. But I wouldn’t change a thing. Because this is who I am.
I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere. And I will keep fighting—not just for myself, but for the girls coming up behind me.
And to those girls, I say this:
- Do the work.
- Don’t expect a free ride because you’re a girl who looks good in a race suit.
- Build your skillset.
- Learn to change your own tyres.
- Learn how to tune, read data, and adjust your kart.
- Strip your kart and put it back together.
- Understand the mechanics and give good feedback.
Because if I can do it, so can you.
Show me you can win. Show me your work ethic. And I’ll back you all the way.
To me, today isn’t just about celebrating women in motorsport—it’s about setting the standard. It’s about pushing yourself, building your skills, and earning your place.
So, best of luck. But know that luck alone won’t get you there. Hard work will.
advertisement