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CHARLIE MARTIN | PERSONAL LIFE

Charlie Martin did not have the easiest start to life, losing both of her parents at a young age, meaning overcoming adversity and obstacles became second nature to her. As well as coping without her parents, she started identifying as transgender when she was seven years old, transitioning to live as a female in 2012. Not one to shy away, she documented her transition on her YouTube channel, reaching out to thousands of people with her inspirational journey.

CHARLIE MARTIN | RACING

Charlie’s first foray into professional driving was in 2004, when she started hillclimbing, winning her first race in 2014 in France, breaking the record by two seconds. She soon progressed into faster cars, racing through the Championnat de France de la Montagne and the FIA European Hill Climbing Championship. In 2017, she took part in her first ever endurance race at Le Mans where she finished in third place.

The following year, she competed in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge; in 2019, the Michelin Le Mans Cup; and in 2020 the German VLN Championship – a race that included her first ever 24-hour race. She would becoming the first transgender person to compete in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, finishing in fourth place. Since then she has participated in the Britcar Endurance Championship and the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America. She is also the development driver for Rocket MB Motorsport’s BMW 330e M Sport and a permanent guest driver for Formula E.

CHARLIE MARTIN |  LGBTQ+ DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Starting her transition in 2012, Charlie returned to the UK circuit in 2018 with the aim of improving LGBTQ+ visibility and inclusion within the sport.

As a transgender woman in a sport dominated by men, she occupies a unique position within the sport and the LGBTQ+ community. Her belief in her abilities helped her overcome her difficulties and to bring awareness and push for change when needed.

“People will say it shouldn’t be a big deal that a driver is transgender but I think it’s important that people in those positions should be visible. People from the LGBT community are in all sports and all walks of life, and they inspire and encourage others.”

CHARLIE MARTIN |  MEDIA

Charlie has been active online for many years, choosing YouTube to document her transgender journey, and she frequently updates her 30,000 social media followers on her personal journey and her racing.

She is also a familiar face on racing TV programmes, presenting two series documenting the 2016 and 2017 seasons of the Championnat de France de la Montagne. She has appeared as a guest star on shows including Ninja Warrior (2017) and Good Morning Britain (2019). She has also spoken for Sky Sports and Sports Women, LBC Radio, Channel 4, BBC3, CNN, ESPN, BBC World Service, ITV News, BBC News and BBC Radio Leicester.

She was featured in Vogue magazine and was listed in Vogue 25, a celebration of inspiring women from all corners of the world. She was also featured in OUT magazine, Attitude 101 and the Pride Power List.

 

CHARLIE MARTIN | KEYNOTE TALKS & SPEAKING TOPICS

Charlie now regularly works with small and large companies, as well as schools, colleges and universities, sharing her story as a motivational speaker. She is honest and passionate, as well as  informative and entertaining. Whilst she can tailor her talks to the client’s brief, her popular topics include:

– Achieving your goals – the story of how I became a professional racing driver

– Managing and adapting to change – seeing challenges as an opportunity to grow rather than an obstacle

– Being your authentic self – how I found the bravery to transition and unlock my true potential

– Transgender awareness – a real-live experience and how people can be better LGBTQ+ allies

– Succeeding as a woman in a male-dominated industry

– Achieving the impossible when the odds feel stacked against you

 

CHARLIE MARTIN | CLIENTS

Adidas, AON, ASOS, Autosport: The Racing Car Show, BMW, Bosch, BVCA, Dennis, DLD College London, Gilead, Google, GSK, Heycar, Kingfisher, the London Motor Show, Lululemon, Microsoft, MTC, Nottingham Trent University, O2, QBE, University of Aberdeen, Xandr, Xbox.

 

Charlie Martin is an influential speaker and a game-changer in motorsport. Her story has captured the imagination of audiences around the world and her talks have widened the debate on LGBTQ+ inclusion and diversity.

Call +44 1753 439 289 or email Great Sports Speakers now to book Motor Racing Driver and LGBTQ+ Transgender speaker Charlie Martin for your corporate event.

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