Lyn St. James

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, and “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, and 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.

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