THE STRUGGLE IS REAL, BUT I AM ABLE TO CONQUER IT!

If anyone personally knows me, know that school has always been a struggle for me, with my ADHD. If you have ADHD you will also understand. So this is a proud moment for me.

When I was in elementary school, I always felt like I was being treated differently because of my ADHD. I was singled out, had to sit alone because I couldn’t stop distracting others with my constant fidgeting, impulsiveness and talking. My parents were called to the school constantly just because I couldn’t help control my actions, and I didn’t have many friends because of it, because they were probably afraid they would get in trouble too.

My parents decided when I was in 4th grade that I would be home schooled, so I didn’t have to feel that way any longer. I was homeschooled till I was in 6th grade, which was a struggle for my parents, working full time jobs and raising 3 kids. We did our best to make it through and I was able to keep my grades up, all while racing.

After Covid ended and home schooling was over, my parents decided it was time for me to go back to school for 7th grade. I am not going to lie; I was nervous to go back to school with the teachers knowing my background in elementary school and that I struggle with ADHD. The first day of school I was welcomed with open arms from all my teachers, bus driver and even made some new friends, so that was awesome. Since that day I have never felt singled out in anyway.

Since I started 7th grade, I told myself I am going to work hard as I can to keep my grades up. I got A’s and B’s for the first terms, but I made a goal to get all A’s this last term. I knew it was going to be hard because I had a lot of racing coming up, that meant I had to miss a lot of school. My mom and I worked through it on the road and when I got back my teachers were able to help me understand what we couldn’t figure out. My teachers are very supportive of my racing, so they help me as much as they can to keep me caught up too.

ADHD is a real medical condition. It not

an excuse to get away with things in life

or not do things, it just makes it harder for us to do. It is really something hard to control and if you let it, it can take over you! I have been personally struggling with it since I can remember and I as I get older I am trying to control it more, but its not easy.

Sorry for talking so much, I just want everyone to know how much I appreciate everything everyone does for me. I want to thank my parents and all my teachers for helping me through my ADHD, helping me keep up on my grades while I am living my dreams racing, and most importantly always believing in me.

IT'S YOUR OWN MISTAKES THAT WILL RUIN YOUR RACE BUT THEY WILL TEACH YOU SOMETHING IN THE END!

So, Charlotte Motors Speedway was overall a good weekend. We struggled on Friday in the first 3 sessions learning the Tony Kart EOS chassis. We also found out my motor was down on power, so we went to our backup motor. After we changed the motor I started to gain speed, and only 3 tenths off with no draft at all.

Saturday was qualifying and heats day. In qualifying my tire was leaking air the whole time, which made my kart suck, by the time I got off the track 3 tires were the same and the other was 7.6lbs. I don’t think that is going to get you to be fast at all. I was able to get 23rd out of 44 drivers.

Heat race 1 (split classes) I started in p12 and got up to p5 by the 5th lap and then another driver hit my rear and caused me to slow down, but I was able to still finish 5th.

Heat race 2 I had a good start, I was in p5 when I tried to hold the outside on a driver, my front bumper got attached to the other driver and I got forced into a curb, got airtime and hurt my back on landing, which caused a DNF. I was very sore since I flew out of my seat with no body weight and landed hard into my seat, but I wasn’t going to give up the final race on Sunday.

Then Sunday it was final day, I was fast in warmups only 2 tenths off, then had to wait 3 hours for the final.

I started p25 in the final, on the start I got into an accident which slowed me down but that did not stop me from catching all the people in front. I caught a driver, was going to pass him and then he got on his brakes earlier than I expected and I hit him, and he spun, then that slowed me down to the point where I had no chance at top 15 and was in 31st place at that point. I finished the race off in 21st with all those accidents.

Not the best race I’ve ever had, I learned a lot this week and hope for better results at WKA!

I know I shouldn’t beat myself up too much considering I have only been in this class 4 or 5 times while others have been in it for years, but I feel I should be doing better than I.

So till I am better, I will keep pushing myself

harder and harder to get to the podium steps this year.

Thank you to my dad for everything you do for me and my kart to help me on/off the track, my mom for all the support you have provided to me.

Thank you Gary Lawson for all the support on my Comet Engine and making me competitive!

I would like to thank all my sponsors for putting their trust in me no matter what.

CRP Racing, Rocks Trailer Sales, Alissa Grim Photography, Precision Karting Technologies, Motul Oil, Ogio, Slick Products, Action Sports Canopies and GoPro.

Congrats to my best friend and teammate Addison Ianniello on her 3rd place podium finish. She has been working really hard, well deserved!

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE NOT RACING TO TRAIN FOR THE SEASON?

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE NOT RACING TO TRAIN FOR THE SEASON is the question of the week.

I feel like I do a lot of things to help me train for the season when I am not able to race, such as riding my dirt bike, racing on my simulator, doing my daily workouts, watching race videos for races we have coming up, and eating healthy.

When the weather is not cold, icy or snowing, I go outside and get out my KTM dirt bike. We live in Ohio so you can't predict the weather here. Our home in Ohio has several acres and a dirt bike path where I can jump up and down hills and ride through the path as much as I want. My favorite thing on my dirt bike is doing wheelies, as long as I don't fall off that is.

Each night that I am home I get on my race simulator for at least a hour if not more. Racing my simulator helps me maneuver the car realistically, shift change and helps me build some upper body strength. My dad has something called a butt kicker that makes the car feel so realistic. If the car is hard to turn in the game so is your steering wheel, if you hit the rumble strips your butt and arms sure feel it. It feels like you are on the track in a real car racing. The only time the simulator is not fun is when you have the people on #Iracing that use it as a game and not for training purposes. When you are getting hit off the the track for no reason at all, it becomes a little frustrating.

Lately my mom and I have been working on some exercises to help me build more upper body strength, since my kart is so big and I am so little. For a hour a night we will do things like push ups, weights, squats, and neck exercises. We have also been working on reaction time with throwing a ball back and forth, also working with an app on my phone.

When I have a race coming up soon, I watch a race video of that track so I can get familiar with it before I show up to the track. It isn't the same as actually being there on the track, but it gives me an idea of where I need to be, braking points, etc. I have a race coming up at Charlotte and I have been watching a race video on it to prepare for my weekend.

Lastly my mom has me eating healthier to help my brain and my ADHD. With ADHD you have to eat certain foods that won't cause your brain to go all crazy all day. You have to eat food that will help you concentrate and slow your brain down. Eating sugar and bad stuff can cause me to lose focus and make me extra energetic, which doesn't help my learning skills in a kart or anywhere else.

Now you know the things that I do to train for my season, now its your turn to let me know what you do.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE NOT RACING TO TRAIN FOR THE SEASON?

#HARDWORK #PLAYHARD #DEDICATION #HARDWORKPAYSOFF #TRAINHARD #OHIO #ADHD #DIRTBIKE #RACELIFE #KARTLIIFE #MOTORSPORTS #TRAINING #OFFSEASON