If there’s one thing that motorsports personalities Claire Jedrek, Gladys Lam and Vaune Phan have in common, it is their thirst for adventure and a relentless drive to achieve.
Local TV presenter and e-sports host Claire Jedrek was always one to ‘put the pedal to the metal’ in everything she did — doing so figuratively as a child, and quite literally, as an adult.
Growing up, she was often chided for being a “bull in a china shop”, but her boundless energy and youthful aggression has ended up serving her well in her career.
Besides juggling many hats, including being co-owner of a production company, the 40-year-old mum of two has gone through several incarnations in the past decade — among them as a motorsports racer and a triathlete.
In 2015, Jedrek finished a proud second “on a grid of 48 cars” at the Formula One support race, just two years after getting into the sport.
It was all the more memorable for her, as was the only female to have ever stood on the podium for her category.
Photo from Claire Jedrek via Instagram
Following a five-year semi-professional racing career, the national mountain bike champion has now turned her attention to triathlons, and trains for it competitively.
Jedrek placed second in the recent PTO Asian Open, an international race that made its inaugural Singapore debut this year.
Took a step of faith, and haven’t looked back since
For Gladys Lam, 28, her start in motorsport racing came right around her birthday in 2019, when a spot opened up at the 2019 Malaysia Street Festival Series (MSF) race in Sepang at the last minute. She took it as a sign to take that leap of faith.
“There was an available spot on my birthday to race… The only catch was there won’t be a testing day because it was a last minute thing. I had to jump into the race car and just go.”
Having completed a couple of track days and e-motorsports races on the Sepang circuit previously, Lam’s familiarity with the track compelled her to get her racing licence.
And she hasn’t looked back since.
Photo courtesy of Gladys Lam
Lam has so far brought home two first-place trophies from the MSF series, stating proudly: “Though it is grassroots racing, I still think they are pretty solid achievements.”
34-year-old motorcycle enthusiast Vaune Phan, on the other hand, lists her month-long solo ride from Singapore all the way to the Himalayas, Tibet (near Mount Everest Base Camp) as her proudest achievement.
Coming a close second would be surviving a 10-day-long “punishing” off-road ride in Ladakh, India.
Photo courtesy of Vaune Phan
Khardung Pass, with an elevation of over 19,000 ft, is one of the top three highest motorable roads in the world.
After riding for 16 years, Phan shared that riding to the top of Khardung Pass was “beautiful yet gruelling”, making it an unforgettable experience.
The automotives lover not only owns a Ducati superbike but also recently fulfilled her dream of owning her first supercar, a Ferrari.
Photo courtesy of Vaune Phan
‘Going for 100%’ in their lives
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Lam shared that going for 100 per cent in every aspect of her life is a mantra that she lives by as she yearns to give life everything she has.
At work, she looks for ways to make a real impact.
On the track, Lam shares that it is about finding the limit and “consistently being at the limit for every lap” as she is not one to settle for the usual.
For Phan, who holds a full-time job in marketing and is involved in real estate as well as content creating, this zeal looks slightly different.
“At work and with motorcycling, I never stop wanting to learn, explore and to improve myself,” she shares.
However, Phan is careful to always make time for family despite having a busy work schedule, stressing the importance of striking a balance amidst it all.
Photo courtesy of Claire Jedrek
And if the past 20 years has taught Jedrek anything, it is to “streamline that aggression” by taking away the emotionality of her decisions so as to play to her strengths.
This means not spreading herself too thin, but to focus on her passion and skill sets instead.
This shows up not only in the way Jedrek manages her company but also in how she parents her kids.
Photo courtesy of Claire Jedrek
But Jedrek will be the first to tell you that she’s no “superwoman”. In fact, she believes it’s an unrealistic ideal.
“I don't want to be in the image of what people perceive as a super woman — it is a myth, I don't need to do it all because you can't have it all.”
Though she spent many years thinking that she had to fit into a mould created by others, she has since learned to live life on her own terms.
Beyond the rush of life
Jedrek now holds herself to a belief that every decision of hers, whether right or wrong, has led her in the best direction and to where she currently is.
Besides identifying themselves as “driven” people, both Jedrek and Lam agree that taking good care of themselves, both physically and mentally, ensures that they’re in tip-top form for competitions.
This includes eating well, getting enough sleep (it has to be at least eight hours for Jedrek) and getting their workouts in.
“It's like fuelling up a car before a race – you want everything in top shape,” shared Lam, who also practises mindfulness to keep a cool head on the track.
For Jedrek, calming her mind takes on a decidedly different form.
Few may know that Jedrek has been an avid gamer since she was eight, and confesses to playing an hour of Valorant every night to unwind – a guilty pleasure that even her husband chuckles at.
But to each their own, this little habit acts as a form of meditation for Jedrek, similar to that of working out, where she doesn’t have to “think too hard”.
‘Different kind of victory’
On the other hand, Phan opts to spend time with the other love of her life — dogs, to rejuvenate her mind and body.
Similar to Jedrek with gaming, spending time with dogs makes Phan happy, helping her to de-stress.
Photo courtesy of Vaune Phan
Phan admits that when she’s not out on her bike or taking a long drive during her downtime, she will likely be found in the company of a man’s best friend at a dog shelter.
But Phan is not the only one compelled to do good for their furry friends.
Outside of racing, Lam spends her time engaged in rescue efforts for abandoned and abused hamsters.
Photo courtesy of Gladys Lam
In fact, Lam is a board member of the Hamster Society Singapore (HSS).
She revealed that she’s seen hamsters dumped in recycling bins, thrown to fend for themselves in a ‘longkang’ (drain).
“Racing gives me a high, no doubt, but the joy of making a difference in the lives of even the littlest ones, that's a different kind of victory.”
Lam confesses that witnessing all the neglect, abuse and abandonment can be distressing, but she finds the work to be “deeply rewarding”.
Of efficiency and habits
With so much on their plates, Jedrek, Lam and Phan shared how efficiency is another key piece to managing their busy lives.
Jedrek currently trains six days a week, which means waking up between 4.30am to 7am depending on which day of the week it is.
“Keeping myself like a well-oiled machine, mentally and physically, always helps me to check all the boxes.”
Jedrek enjoys finishing tasks and checklists so she can feel truly free to do nothing, even if it is just for 10 minutes.
Photo courtesy of Claire Jedrek
Lam, who only recently quit her corporate job to focus on her racing career, shared her top productivity tip — prioritisation.
She explained that by breaking down her day into blocks of time, with each focused on a different task, she finds that she is able to channel her energy into what truly matters.
On a more light-hearted note, Phan said: “Do your best, enjoy the process, and don't take life so seriously. It's not like we're getting out alive anyway!”
Jokes aside, Phan said that she finds it important to put her priorities in place and pace herself while she’s at it.
On days where she felt “burnt out,” Phan shares that she makes the intentional decision to take a break and reset, before starting again.
Of superpowers and abilities
With their busy lives, one might think that the ability to conjure up more hours in a day might be the women’s most-desired superpower, but their answers proved surprising.
For Phan, the superpower to heal from physical wounds to broken hearts and minds, is what she desires most.
With a belief that there are many people hurting in this world, she hopes to help them “especially where money can’t.”
When posed the same question, Jedrek’s response stemmed from a place of being able to “cut the red tape” and decipher what people really think, saying that she would want to read people’s minds, especially in the area of her work.
Jedrek confesses that she is not a fan of small talk, and finds it to be all the more “meaningful and less time-consuming” if she could zero in on a topic of conversation to connect with someone better.
Of the ability to communicate with others more effectively, Lam concurred: “I think I would go for the ability to understand and speak any language.”
This sponsored article by Shell is making this writer want to give her 100 per cent in life as well.
Top image courtesy of Claire Jedrek, Gladys Lam and Vaune Phan