Women in motorsport can be hugely overlooked and when they are honoured in the community, the focus is largely on the riders or the team bosses. As inspiring and influential as these ladies are, we cannot forget about those behind the scenes, whether that be helping in the paddock or supporting the riders we love.
You may know Jill for her work within the Northwest 200 paddock as events coordinator, bringing us one of the best road racing events every year, or you may know her for her infectious smile when stood alongside her partner Peter Hickman.
From a young age, Jill would attend many motorsport events with her family, with the Irish road races being her local events. She spent her toddler and primary school days at race tracks wrapped up in big fleeces and hats watching the Northwest 200 and Armoy races.
In 2012 Jill came back home from Australia, and with her degree in PR and events marketing, she was able to land a job at the Northwest 200 offices alongside Mervin White, looking after all the behind-the-scenes that goes into arranging the event itself. She told me that she has “always loved the organisation of events because no one really knows what goes into all the behind-the-scenes work with all the sponsorships and getting all the materials ready” and with her love for the industry she has worked there every year since.
The Northwest 200 event is where she met her partner Peter Hickman as she has known him “for as long as he has raced there”. With the pandemic causing the whole world to pause, Jill was unable to attend BSB events with Hickman so her first year experiencing the championship with him was in 2022. She told me that “I don't get nervous at that because it's as safe as it can be in normal circumstances”. As she was used to the road racing paddock BSB was an “eye-opener” for Jill as “BSB is on a much higher level, like at road racing everyone's working out the back of a van and that's what I was used to, so it really opened my eyes, but it was amazing to see the factory and professional side of it all.” The 2022 North West 200 was an odd one for many with lots of the top riders being forced to stop racing due to tyre issues. With her prior knowledge of the North West 200, Jill did not find it so nerve-racking when Hickman went out, “This year was the first road races back and I don't panic about the North West because I know it and I can watch him on the screen going round but after the whole tyre situation I was quite disappointed, I had such high hopes as it was my home race but safety comes first.”
A few months after the Northwest, TT fortnight rolls around and despite Jill not being too concerned with other road racing events, Jill could only describe her feelings about the TT as a “sick and nervous feeling in my heart”. As many of you will know Peter Hickman is one of the most talented riders in the TT paddock with nine wins under his belt alongside his title of “the fastest road racer in the world”. He is credited for being the most sensible rider in both short circuits and roads, however, that doesn't get rid of the looming anxiety that the TT brings to fans and riders due to its dangerous nature. TT 2022 was Jill's first TT alongside Hickman, who is known for his laid-back demeanour which Jill tells me is the “complete opposite” of her. “I felt sick the whole week, I'm the total opposite of Pete like he doesn't stress but I'm such an anxious person, I need to know where everything is and seeing him not stress out, stressed me out. Seeing him go off the line caused a sicky nervous feeling in my heart”. She told me that she prefers to stay “out of the way” and keep to herself when Pete is out on track and just watch the live timings. Although the Isle of Man TT is a breeding ground for anxiety and nerves, it is also an event that brings everyone together due to the shared passion for the sport.
The racing community is more like a family and Jill could not express her gratitude for the support networks within the teams and the fans. In practice week of the TT, Jill was back home watching the live feed when suddenly the commentary went silent with the terrifying announcement of a red flag. “In the first week and the red flag came out and when I was at home, and I couldn't eat because I didn't know where he was, I don't know who I’d contact. The racing family is so blooming nice I nearly cried because a guy from Northern Ireland Hardy Breed DM’ed me on Twitter and said, “just to let you know Pete’s fine” I was like oh my god and I couldn't thank him enough like how nice is that? I didn't even know him”. This just highlights the love and support within the paddock.
A question I ask the guests on On Track Mind is “would you ever consider not racing due to seeing what can happen” and the answer is always “no”. I flipped the question to Jill and asked her if she ever would want Pete to stop racing due to the nature of the sport, her answer, was “no”. Here’s what she had to say; “racing is his life and it's what he loves, and I would never pull someone away from what they love, and he is doing amazing so why would he stop? Obviously, it's such a busy schedule and it's non-stop and it takes a toll, and I can see how tired he is, but I would never tell him to step back. It's not my call to make.”.
With the industry being male-dominated it can be hard for women to progress and Jill said that initially working at the North West was hard because “they just see a blonde girl and assume she hasn’t got a clue” but over the years she has learnt more about the industry and the respect she receives from riders has grown.
“It is harder being a girl because you aren't taken as seriously as the guys are” however I think it's safe to say that because of women like Jill, proving themselves in the paddock and working as hard as the men, women are given a better shot in the world of motorcycle racing.
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