Aug 1, 2020
Leslie Porterfield is the fastest woman in the world, and that’s on a motorcycle! Let that sink in. She went 232.522 miles per hour on the Bonneville Salt Flats, and thus became a member of the very exclusive “Bonneville 200 MPH Club” and its first woman member.
She has also been named Racing Female Rider of the Year by the American Motorcyclist Association. Leslie actually holds three land-speed records and she’s been profiled in Time Magazine and featured in a documentary entitled “Chasing Speed: Leslie Porterfield.”
We first met at a Chicago International Motorcycle event a few years ago where she was doing a presentation, and I have to say I was really moved by her accomplishments.
In this episode we discuss what first got her into motorcycles, when she started in racing, and how her parents felt about it. We also talk about her being featured in the documentary “Chasing Speed: Leslie Porterfield,” her work as an entrepreneur and business owner, recruiting racing sponsors,
We go deep into the nuts-and-bolts (sorry) of land speed racing in general, and bike design and engineering for setting records, in particular. She talks frankly about a high-speed crash that did marked damage to both her and her bike, and her comeback, as well as being tapped to race in the machine that sadly Jessi Combs was killed in during a recent high speed run.
She gives some great advice about battling stereotypes and biases, setting priorities once becoming the mother of twins, resilience, and evolving one’s career as life changes.
She also talked about her philanthropic and humanitarian work via her involvement in Racers Who Care, and doing inspirational talks. Leslie demonstrates, and in this episode, deconstructs how we can all live a life in full.