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Outsiders Rising: Stephanie Travers
This past Sunday I had the opportunity to attend the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. While I was disappointed that my favorite driver Lewis Hamilton did not manage to beat this season’s rival Max Verstappen in what was an absolutely thrilling race, I thoroughly enjoyed being at the race in person. It’s truly an amazing experience that I highly recommend.
My exhilarating weekend experience is the inspiration behind my decision to spotlight Stephanie Travers.
Travers was born in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare - the city I grew up in - and went to school there until her family moved to the UK when she was 10. She has been a Petronas trackside fluid engineer for the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team - the team Lewis Hamilton races for- since 2019. To join this team, Travers beat out 7,000 other applicants for the job, working through a global, intense, multi-stage talent search run by Petronas. "Growing up, I used to watch races with my dad and travel to some races with friends," she said in a CNN interview in 2020. "It's something that I've always aspired to one day work within. I tailored my education with the goal of becoming a trackside fluid engineer."
On the track, "I provide the technical support and analysis for the Mercedes Formula 1 team," Travers explained. She ensures that the oil and fluid is compliant with regulations and monitors "the health of the car as a whole throughout a race weekend." She came to the demanding, technical job from a background in chemical engineering, and according to a Sky Sports broadcast at the Styrian Grand Prix, Travers is the only Black woman currently holding a technical role on a Formula 1 team.
Travers has a degree in Chemical Engineering from University of Bradford (UK) and a Masters in Advanced Chemical Engineering from London’s prestigious Imperial College.
In 2020, after Lewis Hamilton won Austria’s Styrian Grand Prix, Travers became the first ever black woman (and possibly first ever minority woman) to stand on a Formula 1 podium when she was called up to receive the Constructor’s trophy for the Mercedes Petronas team.
In an interview about this momentous occasion in March 2021 CNN shared the following:
"My first reaction was: 'Are you sure? I don't think you've got the right person -- it's not me!'" Travers recalls. "But it all happened so quickly and before I knew it, I was walking up onto the podium."
As is customary, Mercedes chooses a team member to go up and collect the Constructors' trophy on behalf of them and Petronas, Mercedes' title and technical partner, after each race win.
It was a poignant moment for Travers -- a trackside fluid engineer -- to be selected, as she became the first Black woman in history to stand on a Formula 1 podium.
"I still can't put it into words for you," she told CNN's Amanda Davies. "It was such a surreal moment for myself and a momentous occasion for myself and my family. I didn't have time to inform my family beforehand, but my parents love the sport, so they were there from home watching, screaming.
"My sister sent me videos afterwards, so to see their response and the response I got from the entire world, it just touched my heart and I'm so thankful to Petronas and to Mercedes for allowing me to represent them on the podium."
After that gesture from the Mercedes Petronas team, Lewis Hamilton posted a photo of Travers with the team trophy captioned as follows:
“I wanted to post this because it’s such an important moment. This is Stephanie who is one of my teammates. She is one of our trackside fluid engineers. On Sunday, she became the first black woman to stand on the podium in Formula 1 history. This is an amazing achievement and I just wanted to acknowledge her for her hard work, positivity, and passion for her job.
Like most of the jobs in our sport they are in high demand, and Stephanie was selected out of over 7000 applicants for her role. Steph said she wants to inspire young black children, and children of colour to believe that they can do it too, and I couldn’t agree more. Put your mind to it, and you can be anything you want to be. So whilst I really appreciate all of the congratulations, I wanted take the opportunity to lift her up, and share them with her. #manifest #hardwork #bethechange”
As an immigrant father to an immigrant daughter who is from Zimbabwe like Travers, her story gives me hope. The world is making room for immigrant women whose childhood dreams may have once seemed ridiculous and they can now shine on its biggest stages. This is a message I hope my incredibly gifted daughter Tanatswa is internalizing.
That’s the brief story of Stephanie Travers. A true rising outsider.
Until next time… ✌🏾
Munatsi
Twitter: @Munatsi_
Twitter: @OutsiderRising
You can check out previous posts that you may have missed below: