HH172
while her mom works back home in Florida to
pay the expensive bills that come with racing.
So far the sacrifices have brought rewards.
Hannah has continued to prove herself in
national competition. At the James Stewart
Freestone Spring Championship, Hannah took
home 3 AMA titles and an invitation to the
James Stewart Champions Ride day at his
personal track, “the Ponderosa,” in Haines City,
Florida.
Having won all of the female amateur classes
in her age group by a landslide, Hodges will be
one of two female riders amongst a group of
35 or so champions invited to the Champions
Ride Day.
“So do you have any friends who are girls who
ride?” I ask.
“I mostly just hang out with everyone at MTF,”
she responds, kind of evading the question.
“So there are other girls there?”
“No, there are no other girls there right now, but
I’m used to it. I’ve grown up racing all the guys.”
It’s clear that Hannah does not expect any
special treatment on account of her gender.
She races against the boys simply because
she wants to race against the best. And frankly, watching
her race on a Supermini it’s clear that a challenge brings
out the best in her.
“If she’s not challenged, she gets bored,” Wayne Hodges
tells me, shaking his head. In a stacked Supermini class,
where you can catch even the most experienced riders
waiver off the gate, the #172 bike pushes through the pack.
There is an intensity in her stance and tenacity in her aggression that one can’t help but feel a little in awe of this
lion-hearted athlete.
So what are Hannah’s goals for the rest of the 2014 season?
“To win all the girls and womens at all the nationals. To go
to Monster Cup and open some eyes, and later move on
to big bikes.” Well Hannah, from all of us watching, we can’t
wait to see what the future holds for you.
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