'Really demanding': Vancouver Island teen training to become Formula One racer
She may only have her learner’s licence, but that hasn’t held a 16-year-old Comox Valley, B.C., teen back from working towards her goal of being a professional driver.
Nicole Haverda got the green light on her desire to be a professional race car driver four years ago when her father took her to a Formula One race in Europe.
Previous to that she had been a competitive swimmer.
"Our whole family likes the competitiveness and the speed, and my brother’s a downhill biker and so we kind of just have that," said the B.C. teen.
'A CANADIAN RACER'
After getting several wins in cart racing she is now gearing up into Formula Three vehicles, which are for more high-end juniors. The move is considered a stepping stone to professional Formula One driving.
"It’s really demanding. It’s usually the upper body, so it goes from your shoulders to your forearms and the neck as well," she said.
"The neck muscles are very crucial because of the g-forces you’re pulling."
Haverda splits her time between races in the Eastern and Western United States, and her home in the Comox Valley. But she doesn’t see travelling those distances as a drawback.
"Being a Canadian racer coming from a small valley, a lot of people see, 'Oh she’s from a small valley it’s not like she’s from Los Angeles or something.' So actually I feel it’s a benefit for me," Haverda said.
Comox Valley, B.C., teen Nicole Haverda is pictured. (CTV News)
Her supportive parents are helping her in her endeavors, even taking shifts around the clock to take her down to competitions as far away as Arizona, where she spends a week at a time.
Haverda jokes that she’s not allowed to help with the driving just yet.
"No they don’t trust me," she said. "We have a big RV. It’s very windy down there since it’s a desert so if it gets windy I’d be like, 'Oh god," she said with a laugh.
Among her recent accomplishments was taking part in a three-hour endurance race in Buttonwillow, California. It was a competition she described as incredible.
"It was actually going through the night so it was super dark, and then you’ve got all the dust picking up and you’re blinded for a second. It was super fun," she said.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Haverda is one of three up-and-coming female drivers profiled in a documentary produced by Mercedes-Benz Canada, which will be released in September.
Because of that exposure, the teen has been taking part in recent media interviews, including appearing on CTV's "The Social" as well as on TSN where she was able to meet one of her racing idols, seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton.
She hopes to pay forward the inspiration Hamilton has given her.
"I would like to inspire the younger generation, and anyone actually, just for them to see where they can get to, and they can do it," said Haverda.
"You know in carting before I started there weren’t many girls, and now I go back to the cart track and I'm like, 'Wow, where did you guys come from?" she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
Advocacy groups speak out against domestic violence comments by Nova Scotia minister
Several Nova Scotia groups that assist women are speaking out against comments on domestic violence by Justice Minister Brad Johns, and at least one is calling for his dismissal.
A couple lost their wedding rings during the ceremony. Two strangers found a fitting solution
Every good wedding has to have one teensy, tiny crisis.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.