Milka Duno is highly accomplished and talented race car driver. She is winner of Rolex Series Miami Grand Prix, historic 2nd place finish and highest finish ever by a female driver in the 24 Hours of Daytona in 52-year history. She is in conversation with Namita Nayyar President Women Fitness
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Your love with racing cars began later in life than other drivers, which looks a like late start in professional car racing but your career has propelled you to the height where you have been at the top of the world of professional car racing by being the woman holding the record of highest finish for a female driver in the 24 Hours of Daytona and with a total of 8 major race wins so far. Tell us something about this journey of success?
Ms. Milka Duno:
I did not start my life thinking that I wanted to become a race car driver – but it became my destiny. After simultaneously obtaining my last three (of four) master’s degrees a friend invited me to a Porsche Driving Clinic in Venezuela. I very much enjoyed all the aspects involved in driving a high performance car on a professional racing circuit and it was then that I knew deep inside that this is what I wanted to do – it was my destiny.
I started competing in races in Venezuela and winning and then went to the USA to take professional lessons. The instructors involved said that I had “what it takes” to have a successful professional racing career and so that is when my professional racing career began. Always I was trying to be the best and while, as a woman driver, I realize that I have made a lot of history so far in my career – that wasn’t the primary motivation. My primary motivation is simply – as a driver – to compete to the best of my ability and to win races.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You hold master’s degrees in Organizational Development, Naval Architecture, Maritime Business, and Marine Biology and you have prior experience working as a naval engineer. How has this helped you in your approach and understanding of making a career in professional car racing?
Ms. Milka Duno:
Earning all the degrees required a lot of focus, determination and commitment. These are also very important in racing – so I take these skills and use them every day in my racing career. In addition, so much of racing has to do with engineering and technology – so my experience in those areas help me understand the race car that much better, and how it is performing in race conditions and this helps me to give great feedback to the team’s engineers so that we can always be working toward being better and faster.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You have selected a sport which requires a lot of cohesiveness and absolute understanding between your team of technicians, your machine and you to finally succeed, how do you achieve that?
Ms. Milka Duno:
Racing is most definitely a team sport and for success everyone on the team – from driver, to pit crew, to engineers, etc. have to all work in harmony toward the shared goal of winning. You become like a family with everyone doing their best to achieve a great result. We work hard – all of us together – to generate a good result in each and every race.
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