In 2022, the Western Australia State Council will see Wendy Walker take over as Chair for the next three years.

Motorsport Australia caught up with Walker to get a bit of an insight into who she is ahead of her official takeover on 1 January, 2022. 

So Wendy, you must be really excited about this new chapter in your life…
I am. It’s something I am really looking forward to. Every now and then I have a little self-doubt as to whether I will be able to do it or not, but overall, I am excited.

How was the whole process for you?
To be honest, I was the only nomination, so I guess it was a sure thing. With that said, I had been the deputy chair this year. Lyndon Sperring and Nick Rahimtulla approached me early last year about the possibility of coming on board to eventually slot into the Chairperson role.

So, for me, I accepted it thinking it would be a sink or swim scenario and knowing full well that I would have the help in doing so. 

So, in that sense, you must be confident?
My major background is rally. I was chairperson of the Rally panel many years back and I am involved in other panels, so I know how to hold an overseeing role.

The biggest challenge for me though will be overseeing more than just my own discipline and understanding all the other disciplines that make up the sport – they are all fairly new to me.

It will be a slow process, but I will have plenty of help and I am looking forward to the challenge.

Before you officially take over, what are you hoping to achieve during your tenure?
That’s a hard question to answer right now because there is so much I need to learn about the other disciplines before I can determine what needs to be done, so in that sense, it’s difficult to say, but I am certainly going in with an open mind.

All I have seen this year is the executive fixing issues. I haven’t seen anything where they focused on the future, but I suppose from afar, I would say grassroots and officials will be my biggest priorities.

I really would like to see grassroots in our sport promoted. To have been a good line of succession, you need to have new people coming in – through all disciplines.

You enter the role as one of the first women to take out a state chair position. Is that a nice feeling?
I think it’s a nice little feather in my cap to have. Motorsport is mainly a male dominated and I am not saying that with any disrespect to men; Speed is naturally just attributed to men.

With that said, we are seeing more women getting involved in sports of all kind, so I am looking forward to doing my part and hopefully I can make some differences.

Anyone to thank?
I feel I have been given the support to step up and I don’t think I would have had the opportunity to do it without the support of Lyndon, Nick, Eugene Arocca and our Motorsport Australia Regional in Andrew Rogers, as well as the present members of the state Executive

I am thankful to them for having faith in my ability to lead.

Being in sport for a long time and I believe I have something to give. As a competitor and official and administrator, I feel I can bring multiple views to the table and I would like to think I could be useful and an integral part of the link.