Lioness itching for rally action in Kasarani this month

Organisers of the inaugural Lioness Rally are leaving nothing to chance as they seek to host a memorable event.

The women’s only competition, whose fundraiser was held on Saturday night at Lifestyle Gigiri, is scheduled for March 27 at Kasarani Stadium. The funds raised from this event will be used to preserve the environment by planting trees as ways of reducing the carbon footprint.

Several entrepreneurs got a chance to showcase their items at the fundraiser on Saturday, with the proceeds from the sales directed towards funding the upcoming rally.

According to the founder of The Lions Rally Club, Lisa Christoffersen, the initiative is geared towards empowering and encouraging women to participate in rally.

“It’s not only going to be only female drivers and navigators, but also officials, scrutineers, fuellers and security. Everybody on the ground will be a woman,” said Christoffersen.

“We are trying everything possible to make the event a success. This is going to be a game changer in rally as a sport. We want to encourage women to participate in the sport.”

The inaugural rally, which is targeting 10 drivers and navigators, is expected to curtain-raise the Equator Rally that will take part from April 1-3 in Naivasha, ahead of the WRC Safari Rally scheduled for June 23-26.

Pauline Sheghu, who is the first Kenyan woman to finish a Safari Rally in 2011, said she can’t wait to participate in the competition.

“Rallying is about training. If you don’t train, don’t expect to finish,” said Sheghu.