Backing by business helped Katie succeed
A SOUTH Derbyshire business has helped a teenage motorcyclist to make sporting history after she claimed Thundersport GB’S coveted Superteens championship.
Katie Hand has become the first female rider to lift what many consider to be one of Britain’s most prestigious youth racing titles, securing the points she needed in the final meet of the season at Cadwell Park.
The 16-year-old has cemented her reputation as one of the best young racers in the business on her Yamaha R3, all while bearing the colours of MIH Solutions, a strategic communications, PR and change consultancy based just outside Burton.
MIH (Make It Happen) backed Katie and her team throughout 2020 but stepped up as title sponsor for 2021, inspired by co-owner and director Jon Beech’s love for motorcycling and the business’s passion for supporting both young talent and women in sport.
Jon said: “We were very keen to continue to support Katie in 2021, building on the successful partnership we’d already established. It’s been fantastic to watch her go from strength to strength and I think there were tears in a few people’s eyes when she was confirmed as Superteens champion!
“Linking up with Katie and the team has been a great opportunity for us as a business too. “We’re looking forward to watching her career develop and can’t wait to find out what she’ll achieve in the years to come.” Katie, from Cabourne in Lincolnshire, has only been circuit racing motorcycles for the past three years, winning the Darley Moor Junior Championship in her first season and placing fifth with Thundersport GB during a Covid-interrupted 2020. In addition to her Superteens triumph, she also competed in the 2021 British Junior Supersport Championship - one of the main support classes for the British Superbikes – as she continues to rub shoulders with some of the brightest
It’s quite literally a dream come true and I’m so grateful for the support of everyone who’s helped me to get there.
young talents in the game. Her 16thplace finish meant she comfortably achieved her season’s goal of being among the top 20 riders.
Katie said: “At the start of this season the team and I set ourselves some pretty ambitious goals and there’s been a lot of hard work go into achieving them. I’m thrilled, but at the same time overwhelmed, to have become the first female rider to win Superteens. It’s quite literally a dream come true and I’m so grateful for the support of everyone who’s helped me to get there.
“I’d particularly like to thank MIH, which has provided amazing backing to us over recent years and has been with us every step of the way.
“As well as specialist coaching and mentoring, the communications and PR support I’ve received from Jon and the team has been a huge benefit for me personally. I’m sure our positive relationship will continue in the future.”