Lyn St. James

American Racing Icon, First Woman to Win Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year (1992)

Topics: Sports, DE&I – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Inspirational & Motivational, Leadership, Personal Development, Teamwork, Women Leaders, Productivity

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Biography

When Lyn St. James completed her first Indianapolis 500 at the age of 45, she was just the second woman in history to race in the world’s largest single day sporting 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 11th place and became the first woman to earn Indy 500 Rookie of the Year honors. 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 20th Century. She is a testament to the power of determination and positive thinking. In her book, Lyn St. James: An Incredible Journey, she 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 serves on the ACCUS (Automobile Competition Committee of the United States) and represents North America on the FIA Women in Motorsports Commission. She has been an automotive consumer advisor and spokesperson for Ford Motor Company, the National Car Care Council, Continental Teves “Drive Safer America!” Campaign, and the RPM Foundation. As a leader in women’s sports, she’s a past president of the Women’s Sports Foundation and is in demand as a motivational speaker all over the world.

She was a founder of Human Performance International, a world class performance enhancement testing and training center for athletes and other high-performance individuals. In 1994, she founded Women in the Winner’s Circle, 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 competing in seven Indy 500 races, 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 20th Century by Sports Illustrated for Women and was the recipient of the 2001 Guiding Woman in Sports Award. She has been inducted into the Sports Car Club of America Hall of Fame, the Florida Sports Hall of Fame, the Sebring Hall of Fame, and was the 2021 Honoree at the 26^th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.

Her most popular topics include: Excellence, Goal Setting, Motivation, Inspiration, Performance Improvement, Personal Development, Sports, Team Building, Leadership, Diversity, and Gender.

Videos

Speech TopicsExpand each topic to learn more

The Drive that Leads to Success

Lyn understands the rejection, the "crashes;" the doubts, the defeated mind-set when others constantly "get the breaks," and when victory seems achievable only for others.
Preparation: the key to success. The will to win is important, but the will to prepare to win is even more important.

After the Moments of Defeat

Lyn can spark employees to use the moments of defeat as lessons to achieve their goals.

What Next?

When the race is finished, and the trophies and prize money is handed out, what will be your team's next great moment?

Is Your Vision Clear?

Perhaps if the vision is clear, your audience will see the reasons and the path to achieve goals not only in business, but also in life.

Testimonials

Lyn, you're amazing--great presentation!

– Jodi Bass, Event Manager, Capital One

THE American woman racing icon is making a difference across the country! Some of us talk about making a difference, you're doing it!

– Tom Peters, Bestselling Author of In Search of Excellence

I want to thank you profoundly for the outstanding presentation you gave the Senior Management group at our recent meeting in Chicago. Your words were most inspiring and right on.

– Alain Paillat, Senior Vice President, Marriott

You provide substance and actionable suggestions that will help grow our business.

– Ulrich Kirschner, Vice President, Bosch

In a challenging business environment where the pressure to excel and continually improve is relenting, it is of enormous value to hear from someone who has not only been successful in another field, but who achieved their success when many believed they did not fit in. I was particularly pleased with your message about winning the right way…your message was powerful with direct relevance and I will use this myself.

– Paul Eller, Central Regional General Manager, HSBC Consumer Lending

Lyn has an incredibly inspiring story and offers a candid and unique perspective on racing and about women athletes in general. I would highly recommend Lyn as a speaker for any event.

– Amy Rosewater, Associated Press and Chair for the 15th Annual Association for Women in Sports Media Convention

Your women’s marketing presentation to our dealership salespeople was outstanding. Your understanding of the selling process and your ability to communicate that knowledge to your audience was readily appreciated as evidenced by the interest generated during the Q&A period. Our salespeople are better for having participated.

– J.M. Studdard, District Operations Manager, Ford Motor Company

As you said in your speech, teamwork is essential to achieving our goals. You proved the perfect ‘strong, smart and bold’ role model at our luncheon, and through your involvement, you have helped us materially in working toward our goals.

– Lauren J. Harrison, Chair Girls, Inc. of Greater Houston