Iron Dames, the pioneering and successful project founded by Deborah Mayer to promote and support women in sports, is proud to announce the addition of two talented youngsters, Vicky Farfus and Mia Oger, both aged 12, to its ranks.
Since its launch in 2018, the Iron Dames project has made history in endurance racing and helped to positively change perceptions of women in traditionally male-dominated sports. In addition to its recent entry into equestrian, the project continues to expand its horizons in the world of motorsport. Not only is it moving into new disciplines such as rallying and single-seaters, but it is also expanding its talent pool and welcoming younger athletes. The recruitment of Natalia Granada in 2023 opened the project to karting, the typical gateway to a racing career, and the addition of Mia and Vicky accelerates this momentum.
Their entry into the Iron Dames family follows a scouting initiative that brought together 12 young female drivers from around the world at Aragon in December. Vicky and Mia seized the opportunity to prove that they are young girls with not only excellent driving skills, but also a great capacity for hard work and extraordinary determination to achieve their dream of a professional career.
Brazilian-Italian Vicky Farfus had a first taste of karting at 11 and started racing in March 2023, straight away at an international level, and finished third at the 50-mile cadet-class go-kart race at Granja Viana in Brazil last December.
French driver Mia Oger experienced karting for the first time at seven and start competing at eight. She made her mark racing in France, rapidly reaching National category. Mia's notable highlights to date include finished best lady at the IAME World Finals in 2022.
The two youngest Iron Dames will have an extensive testing programme and will wear the Iron Dames colours on the international karting scene in the ROK and WSK championships. At the same time, Vicky will be competing in the Champions of the Future series, while Mia will compete in France.
The inclusion of Vicky Farfus and Mia Oger underscores the Iron Dames project's intent to nurture, mentor and prepare the upcoming generation of female athletes, solidifying its commitment to actively shaping the future of sports. With this latest development, the Iron Dames continues to lead the charge towards gender equality in sports and set new benchmarks for excellence on and off-track.
Deborah Mayer: "We are thrilled to welcome Vicky and Mia to the Iron Dames family. Their passion, talent and dedication are truly inspiring, and we are committed to providing them with the support and guidance they need to thrive in the world of motorsport. In recruiting these promising talents, we embrace our mission to provide opportunities, empower the younger generation and reinforce our commitment to paving the way for future generations of female racing stars.”