On Wednesday 8 March, Motorsport Australia will be joining the rest of the world as we recognise International Women’s Day.
 
Over the course of the week, Motorsport Australia will be celebrating all women who contribute to the sport.
 
Since becoming a member of the Australian motorsport community, Jo Mawson has found herself as a vital part of the BMW Drivers Club of Melbourne and a key contributor to Victorian motorsport. 
 
Currently serving as the club’s Vice President, Mawson has held a variety of roles over the year, which includes being an Event Coordinator, Clerk of Course and a member of the Victorian State Official panel.
 
A big believer in support, Mawson also helped found the club’s welfare team and takes on a mentor role to many of the club’s more inexperienced members. 
 
Remarkably, she has only been in sport for less than a decade, having first got involved when she met her current partner Graeme Bell, who is the club’s President and owner of Bell Motorsport. 
 
Despite her being involved for the last 10 years, motorsport isn’t foreign to her as she was born in close proximity to the famous UK based circuit, Brands Hatch.
 
Having attended the track with her father back in the day, it wasn’t until she met Bell decades later on the other side of the world that she was truly inspired to actually get involved. 
 
And since then, she hasn’t looked back – becoming the heartbeat of the club and a highly experienced official, who has worked her way up from general flag marshal to a Clerk of Course. 
 
“Being part of the club is quite busy and I often wear between five and 20 hats for the club. However I do love it and that is why I am happy to spend so much time doing it,” Mawson said.
 
“I have been VP, Events Coordinator and even part of a mentoring team that coaches new officials in getting their general, bronze and silver licences – we love bringing young men and women into the sport.
 
“I am 61-years-old and proud of it and being in the sport keeps me young. I know there is a lot of senior people in motorsport, but when I see the younger ones coming through the club, it’s nice to be able to pass on my knowledge and offer advice to people willing to improve.
 
“I am also really proud to have been part of the welfare team, because we have found people are a lot more open after COVID – guiding, encouraging and helping people is where my passion is. 
 
“It’s also nice to see so many women coming through. At Bell Motorsport we have just as many women competing as we do officials, but we’re always pushing for more female drivers.
 
“It may be a man’s sport but it’s not scary, it’s a loving community and truthfully, I have never been in a community that is more inclusive than motorsport.”