Lyn St. James

When Lyn St. James completed her first Indy 500 at the age of 45, she was just the second woman in history to race in the event. Some doubted that a woman could keep up with male drivers, and St. James struggled to get the sponsorship she needed to race. She took eleventh place, and became the first woman to be selected Indy 500 Rookie of the Year. Fueled by inspiration and limitless motivation, St. James managed to rise through the ranks and eventually become known as the American Woman Racing Icon of the Century. She is undoubtedly a testament to the power of determination and positive thinking. In her book, “Ride of Your Life,” she chronicles her last Indy 500 and recounts years of adversity, record-breaking runs at Talladega and Daytona, terrifying crashes, and the joys of mentoring young women drivers. St. James has also developed a successful career outside of the driver’s seat. She is an automotive consumer advisor and spokesperson for Ford Motor Company, National Car Care Council, Continental Teves “Drive Safer America!” Campaign, and Kettering University. As a leader in women’s sports, she’s is an active past president of the Women’s Sports Foundation and is in demand as a motivational speaker all over the world.

Additionally, she started the marketing and public relations firm Creative Images, Inc., which she still runs. She was a founder of Human Performance International, a world class performance enhancement testing and training center for athletes and other high performance individuals. And in 1994, she founded the Lyn St. James Foundation, a non-profit educational organization that focuses on worldwide activities and programs for automotive safety and driver development, especially for aspiring race car drivers who are female. In addition to being the first woman to win the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year, St. James is the two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona and a two-time competitor at the 24 Hours of LeMans. She was named one of the Top 100 Women Athletes of the Century by Sports Illustrated for Women, and was the recipient of the 2001 Guiding Woman in Sports Award. MOST REQUESTED PROGRAMS Ride of Your Life Pursuit of Excellence Race to the Top How To Be the Best You Can Be