Throughout our lives, there’s a good chance that most of us have been constantly informed about the beneficial nature of sport by a wide variety of people! Our parents, relatives, friends, school principal, your favourite athlete who you watch on the TV and even our teachers!
Well, some of them, that is; apparently no Math teacher ever got that memo – no prizes for guessing who usually ended up nabbing away the sports lecture in school! That said, when you come to think of it, there truly is no alternative to sport; what else can keep you physically and mentally fit, help you make new friends, give you that much needed adrenalin rush and on top of that, teach you some of life’s biggest learnings?
As with everything we see and hear too often though, we tend to take it for granted and ignore it. For many, their sporting pursuits have been crumpled by the immense pressure of a working life. That said, every once in a while comes an inspiring story of a sport completely transforming a person’s life for the better, teaching them those key life lessons and rejuvenating them; these stories fill you up awe and inspiration and make you go ‘Man, this is fantastic, maybe I can learn a thing from them!’
Today, I am glad to bring to you one such special story from the world of karting; the story of Jamie Shaw, the aspiring young karter from Mumbai.
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Who is Jamie Shaw?
Jamie Shaw is an 18 year-old karting driver, who has competed in local and domestic competitions for the last few years. He got into the sport through his thrill-seeking elder brother, Mark and not much came close to providing that inner thrill than karting! The tide truly turned towards karting for Jamie in 2018, upon the launch of Ajmera Indikarting in Wadala, Mumbai, the only karting track where you can actually race in the entirety of the mega city.
Interestingly, being a Formula 1 fan for years, there was always some natural pace and understanding of the basics, so much so that Rustom Kersi Patel, an Indian motocross legend and KTM brand ambassador was compelled to ask him where he had got his basic training done from! Over the years, he’s improved multiple folds as a racing driver, accumulating strong wins and podiums at Ajmera Indikarting’s Clash of Pros and Clash of Go-Karts events, which seem to have a progressively stronger field every race weekend!
Along with this, Jamie has made his mark in big ticket international events too, winning the 2020 Dubai Endurance Nations Cup and finishing second in the UAE World Endurance Karting Series!
What’s so special about him?
On the surface, this may not seem like the conventional young driver resume, but that is exactly where we see the difference. To truly understand who Jamie is and what he’s all about, one must scratch the surface and focus on the qualities that make him stand out, and my goodness are they challenging to attain!
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Having the privilege to be involved in the domestic motorsport and eSports scene for the last few years, I can confidently say that Jamie’s mindset is right up there with the very best in the game: immense self-confidence, a fanatic desire to improve, an unwavering commitment to get better and a determination to do all it takes to achieve his target.
Being a super-expensive sport, Jamie’s family helped him begin, but today, he is finding a way to self-sustain. This is an intriguing but certainly more challenging way to carry on competing.
Realising the lack of social media coverage at the grassroots level and the need to be appealing as a brand to potential sponsors, Jamie has taken on content creation with some intent, sharing his fitness journey, explaining the basics of F1, guiding motorsport hopefuls on how they can make a career in the sport and discussing the sport we love on various media platforms.
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His aim? Not just being a far more visible and prominent driver than those at a similar or even at a higher level of the motorsport competition pyramid, but to use that media presence to help more passionate fans to find their entry point!
How has Jamie transformed himself?
One of the big changes Jamie’s mindset has been to identify the lack of a comfort zone and the need to constantly improve and push for more. From failing in school, to losing friends and chasing short term happiness, Jamie realised the need to change for the better at the end of his second course at Ajmera Indikarting. On that day, he was too overweight to get into the Pro go-karts; from that moment, change was imminent and the support from his family was key.
For him, the single most important aspect to transform yourself to be a better person is to be grateful for everything, which makes you recognise all the privileges of your life and helps you stay happy.
However, happiness and satisfaction are two very different things – today, Jamie is happier than he ever is, but ever so hungry to push for more and get better and that hunt for satisfaction has seen him undergo an immense physical transformation.
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When he first started karting, Jamie weighed 70 kgs and stood 5 feet tall, 20 kgs over the ideal body weight for a teenager of his age. Since then, he’s grown to 5’7 and now weighs just 60 kgs, right at the minimum ideal body weight for someone of his age and stature. He dipped to a minimum weight of 54 kgs and gained the rest in muscle, dropping his body fat percentage to 11 % since shedding the weight and the effects on the racetrack were evident.
He credits all of his trainers and holds them very dearly in his heart. That determination of doing everything they say, without fail can be easy to start, but very challenging to maintain over multiple years.
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What’s next for Jamie Shaw?
For Jamie, the subjective target is always clear; constantly improve and be a better version of himself, both physically and mentally and this approach has paid dividends. As for motorsport, he recognises that he is at just the right age to fulfill his motorsport dreams and give his best to get to them.
Unlike most young racing drivers, Jamie’s eyes are locked in on the world of GT and Touring Car racing. In my opinion, this is a very shrewd option: for a far cheaper cost, being a part of a much more bunched up and competitive vertical of racing makes a lot of sense, unless one has the resources and commitment to get to Formula 1, which only the richest usually end up having.
Next up on the target is Volkswagen Motorsport India’s Polo Cup, India’s premier one make Touring Car championship and the ideal stepping stone up into the domestic car racing scene.
Personally, I’ve always been a part of the school of thought which says that the emphasis should be on the process and the results will inevitably follow. Far easier said than done, of course, but that is exactly what makes Jamie Shaw’s future in the world of motorsport so intriguing – the intent to do what’s far more easy to say.
Follow Jamie Shaw and his work here: https://linktr.ee/JamieShawRacing
Read more on soumilarora.com: https://www.soumilarora.com/motorsports/esports/vco-esports-streamer-broadcast-dilemma/#.YLZpGagzZPY
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