Bet You Didn’t Know…

I must confess, and I know I’m not alone this, but I’ve fallen prey to assuming the girl holding the 30-second board has little more going for her than good looks and the attention of all the boys on the starting line (and the ones in the stands for that matter.) Many of these young ladies could certainly help the stereotype by dressing a little more modestly but by and large, most people probably jump to the conclusion that she’s all beauty and no brains.

Tawni Raceles squashes the stereotype and probably has more going for her than most of the people in the stands making assumptions. It turns out the whole starter girl thing is just for kicks so she can be involved in the sport. She typically starts race day in the registration booth checking riders in before she makes her way over to the starting line. On this particular race day she found herself holding the board for a total of 32 motos with little time between for much more than a drink of water or to apply more sunscreen.

Away from the track she holds down a job as a nanny, works in various capacities with special needs children and hopes to start her own event planning business. Did I mention she’s educated? Tawni made the Deans List with a degree in Human Development from Cal State San Marcos and plans to get her masters just as soon as she can decide which direction she wants to go in.

In the mean time she plays wife, nanny and spends her weekends at the track doing countless tasks from rider check in, to raising the starting gate and yes, holding the 30-second board. Quite the contrary to what most people would assume of the blond beauty standing out on the track as a conversation I had that day with a friend proved.

As I made my way back to our pit he asked me where I’d been. I responded, “I just talked to the starter board girl for the last twenty minutes.” “You get her number” he asked. “Nope” I replied. “She’s happily married, works as a nanny, has a degree, is planning to get her masters, wants to start her own business and does this for fun on the weekends.” “Wow” he said. “I feel really judgmental.”

Yep…me too.

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