Valerie Thompson: “I always say that fear is my energy”
14/07/2022
Lisa Cavalli
Valerie Thompson is an icon of world motorcycling. In her career she has managed to break many speed records, both on motorcycles and streamliner motorcycles. So far, she reached 328 mph (528 km per hour). With a beautiful smile and engaging enthusiasm, the “fastest woman in the world” answered our questions exclusively for the MissBiker blog. Here is the interview!
I have lots of questions for you! First of all, thank you for being with us today, i know that you are very busy, so thank you very much, Valerie!
Here comes the first question! You have set the world land speed record ten times and you are the fastest rider in the world. How does it feel to be a legend?
Oh! You know, being a legend in the world of motorcycling and also being the fastest woman in the world are unique opportunities in a lifetime, I can say that I have a place at the forefront of history, but I didn’t get there alone. My team helped me achieve the goal… we wanted to be the fastest in the world, but you know, it takes a lot of work! It was the great opportunity of my life… to be the first to exceed 300 mph (or 482 km per hour!) in a streamliner motorcycle. The only reason why the streamliner is used is because it is aerodynamic… to support the extreme speeds you want to reach, you must use a 100% aerodynamic vehicle. It’s a fantastic feeling and it’s a good platform that allows me to share my story with other women who may want to do something to get out of their comfort zone and push themselves beyond their limits, a bit like I do…
Not everyone can be Valerie, but every woman can be herself, she can tell her story and embark on her journey…
You have reached an incredible speed of 328 miles per hour (527,864 km/h). Incredible! When you are in the streamliner what does it feel like at those speeds? How do you know when to stop and not exceed the limit?
I don’t really know what speed I’m going when I’m in the speed zone, when I enter the measurement point [editor’s note: the average speed recorded in a given segment of one mile). Sometimes, you think you have a low speed and instead you actually reached the highest speed, and this happened to me just when I set the record of 328 mph. And when you’re inside, with your seatbelts fastened, in the streamliner tailor-made cockpit, there’s just no room to move, it literally takes your breath away. It’s tiring when they let you in and place you in the cockpit, when you fasten your seat belts and wear all the safety protections… You know, your thoughts change quickly when the cockpit closes and the last setups are made, and then everything calms down. I’m super excited, I have this reaction like “Yuhuuu!” and if you watch some videos you’ll listen to me, while everyone tells me “You have to calm down now, relax”, but they don’t realize that I’m so thrilled, and I want to be perfect, I want it to be a perfect ride. Mistakes are not allowed, when I settle in the cockpit, I have the steering in my hand I know I won’t give up until I’m done! And that’s when I calm down, when concentration, adrenaline and everything else come into play and, as I said, everything gets slow, everything is in slow motion and it makes you think, “Are we done yet?”
How did you approach the world of motorcycles?
Well, it was a boy who introduced me to the world of motorcycles. He told me that there were a lot of women who raced, that there were more and more and I thought, “Damn, I can do it too!” And so he drove me to a Harley Davidson dealership in Bellevue, Washington, where I bought my first motorcycle! I didn’t even have a license, I had never got on a motorcycle alone, only in the back as a passenger, for a ride. I bought it and had to wait a few weeks to get a license, you know there is a procedure to follow, I took the training course for motorcyclists, passed the exam and then took the theoretical course for the license. That’s how I started! And before starting I had to wait and the bike stayed still for three months… in the meantime I was thinking “Oh my God, what have I done!” , I had made an investment… I was a banker, I worked in the banking sector for thirteen years, and I thought, “I made just the wrong investment! Instead, it was the best investment, for me and for my entire career.
And how was the transition to streamliner motorcycles?
Oh… that’s a good question! Because it’s totally different. When you’re riding a motorcycle and you feel like you’re going fast… when you’re riding you’re exposed to air that can knock you down and if you make a wrong movement with your toe, on the pedal or with your hand you can lose control, and it’s hard to put your hand back on the knobs or your foot in the right place and this can ruin your race. Instead, being in the streamliner… that is, you’re inside a cockpit and you’re tied tight until you’re done. And there’s no room to move. You’re cutting through the air with the streamliner, but you can’t hear the wind.When you’re on a motorcycle you can hear everything! You are one with mother nature, while when you are in the cockpit you must forget what it means to ride a motorcycle, to drive and race with the streamliner. Yes, a huge difference, it takes time to adapt, there are some things you need to change, even experienced riders must concentrate as much as possible inside the cockpit, because they are used to moving their bodies, leaning, when you are on a motorcycle and you go left you have to tilt your body, while you don’t lean into the streamliner at all!
Competitive motorcycling has always been a predominantly male world. did you experience difficulties in racing or finding sponsors?
Obviously… yes! You know, one of the biggest challenges for a female riders in high-level competitions is competing against men in a world where men prevail everywhere, and it’s hard to find sponsors, some think it’s easy but it’s not easy at all. It’s not easy. You need to be in the right place, at the right time and have the right contacts.
In 2018 you had an accident with the bub seven streamliner while you were trying to break the speed record. How did you overcome fear after that bad experience?
Well, I always say that fear is my energy. I haven’t come back into the cockpit of the Streamliner motorcycle anymore and unfortunately I won’t have that opportunity, and that’s fine anyway. But while the bike was being repaired, I got on other motorcycles to overcome my fear of having an accident again. I had never thought about accidents, I know what to do in the event of an accident, but I had never thought it would happen… of course, it’s a possibility, anything can happen, I know the dangers. I know that life could end today, but I live my dreams, I have no regrets. So, yes… it wasn’t easy, but now I’m going in a streamliner car version, which is twice as long as a motorcycle, has a lot more horsepower, and has four wheels… the ride was really nice, I really liked it.
You think it’s over when you face obstacles, major obstacles because you know, the streamliner was destroyed, there were things that could be recovered, such as the structure, which is the most important part, and then the chain, the engine, all the parts… but… it was definitely a difficult time.
What are the skills needed to drive the streamliner and what are the difficulties that a rider could face while driving the streamliner?
Well, I can tell you that it takes all your heart and soul, you have to put everything you have in it, you have to find the courage to stay tied inside a vehicle that you can’t control with your body, if we compare the motorcycle with the streamliner. And you must have a strong desire to test yourself and you must also have the right team behind you, because it is the team that allows you to do well. You as a rider have the easiest part and they have the hardest part as a team, that is the preparation behind the scenes that people don’t see… the hard work, the sweat and tears, the joy… all these things.
What are your plans for the future? Will you try to break your records?
Unfortunately, I won’t have a chance to beat my 328mph record, and maybe it will remain undefeated for a long time, until a new girl or someone else comes along. But now I am trying to break speed records on cars and motorcycles, and I will continue to test myself on motorcycles.
You are an incredible woman, determined and self-confident. What advice can you give to female motorcyclists who lack confidence in their abilities?
It’s a good question, because you know, your skills are one thing, but when you’re in, oops! When you’re on a motorcycle (I get confused between streamliner and motorcycle), you have to throw away your fear, because fear will ruin everything! Like I did when I had the accident… the first thing you have to do is get back on your bike, you have to do it again! Try it once, don’t try it a second time to fall back, I’m not saying that, but you have to get back on it… because you don’t know what you’re worth, on the contrary… I think you know what you’re worth, what you don’t know is how far you can go. You have to do it!
Couls you say “Hello” to the women of the MissBiker Community?
Hi! Greetings to the entire MissBiker community, I’m Valerie Thompson from Scottsdale, Arizona. I wish you all the best and I wish you a lot of fun and… keep riding motorcycles! Don’t give up!
Follow Valerie Thompson on her website
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