Tanya Muzinda – the African promise of motocross 

Since the motocross competition started in 1957, you were the first woman to win a
championship in your country, Zimbabwe, and in 2021 you were named among the BBC 100
Most Inspirational Women, this is very prestigious! How does it feel to be a role model and
to help girls follow their dreams, and also not to be scared about getting into motorsports,
in your country and across the world?
It’s honestly one of those feelings where words can’t express it. It hits me on random days
that there are young people out there who look up to everything that l have done. All the
pain and tears i l have shedded are someone’s motivation to keep pushing. It is such a
blessing.

You are also engaged in charitable work to empower children from underprivileged
communities, can you tell us more about that?
This was a project that l had always wanted to do when l was older but l realized why should
l wait till im older, what about now or the people that need to help now? Not a lot of people
except me to have the same background or be able to relate to certain circumstances that
young africans face but l once was in that position too. l want to be able to inspire people
around the world that your background should be define you, the only thing that can define
you is you… and how hard you work for your goal.

Let’s talk about motorbikes: when did you first realise you wanted to ride one and how
did you learn to ride it? Why did you choose motocross? What’s your current motorbike?
When I was younger, all I saw were motorbikes. My dad owned one so i immediately
wanted to ride like him. Despite me being a girl and motocross being known as a male
dominated sport, he still gave me the opportunity to venture into the sport. It wasn’t easy
which made me fall in love with the sport even more than l already did. My dad taught me
everything l needed to know, despite the little knowledge that we both had about
professional motocross but l still managed to compete amongst some of the best riders in
my league. l chose motocross in hopes of being a new face in the sport for young african
girls around the world.

Your family supported you from the beginning, how did they do it? How did society
react about your passion and about you being a woman competing in motorsports? Do you
see any difference since the outset of your career?
A lot of people questioned why motocross. Considering that it is an expensive sport and we
live in Africa. My parents didn’t let that come between my love for the sport. Looking back, I
realise how much they sacrifice for me to be able to be where I am right now. the sport is
way bigger in Europe and America so having to travel to those places was very expensive,
but my parents still found a way to get me where I had to be.

How do you train during the week? How do you combine track training with physical
training?

I always combine track training and physical training because you need each strengths in order to be the best athlete. I do a lot of core training off the track and endurance off the track.

You are racing against men and women, do you believe that mixed competitions raise the bar for girls?
Even though a lot of people don’t like to hear it, there is quite a difference in the men’s sports compared to the girls. Despite that, there a plenty of girls out there who race as fast as the boys but unfortunately the percentage is not as big as the boys competition.

Can you name a few sportswomen/men that inspired you and tell us why?
I have mainly been inspired by James Stewart, as he is one of the only faces for people of colour in motocross. He has proven that despite your skin colour or background , anything is possible when you put your mind into it. Another person that has inspired me is my mentor, Stefy Bau. Stefy was one of the first female motocross riders to compete with boys at a professional stage and beat them!

Are you currently training for any special competition?
I’m currently working on physical training rather than motocross training because l was currently finishing off my last year of highschool so none at the moment.

What are your racing goals for the future?
My future racing goals are definitely to compete at high rankings like Loretta Lynn’s and some of monsters championship races. I also do plan on travelling and race against girls and boys around the world.

Would you try a different motorcycle discipline?
I’ve tried road bikes which l found very fascinating, l am now mixing and making a transition to karting which i think is a good way to make a good discipline even to road racing.

Lastly, for all the women still undecided about jumping on a bike, and for all the women
of the MissBiker community who dream about getting into motocross and starting a
professional career, what advice would you give to them?
The best advice l would give is to always believe in yourself. I know that it’s someone
everyone will you tell you but it really is the most powerful affirmation one can have for
themselves. In motocross or any sport, it takes blood, sweat, courage and strength. You
have to be mentally strong before physically and that includes believing in yourself.