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Guinness World Record Holder Rebecca Jackson Shares Her Car Racing Journey!

rebecca jackson

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It would be all too easy to be enchanted by the captivating smile of this charismatic young lady. But don’t be fooled as behind those mesmerising brown eyes stands an energetic, intelligent, focused, and very astute business woman, with a 2.1 Business Degree obtained from University in Bath. Rebecca Jackson is a Championship-winning Racing Driver, Telegraph Cars Motoring Journalist, TV Presenter and Business Woman. She can also be found on major channels such as Sky News discussing current motoring issues and has work published in GQ Magazine, Auto Express and The Sunday Times. She holds a Guinness World Record for the most number of countries visited on one tank of fuel, in conjunction with Audi and RAC.

After self-starting a used car sales business in 2007, Rebecca was able to embark on a racing career, success begun with 5 podiums in her second season of competing in the Porsche 924 Championship. She then stepped up to race a Porsche Boxster in line with Project Le Mans, her four-year plan to race at arguably the most prestigious 24-hour endurance race in the world. 2015 saw another step up, into a 911 Cup car. She is currently competing in The European GT Series in a KTM X-Bow GT4 run by Germany-based Reiter Engineering. To accompany an already busy schedule she can also be found on ITV4 presenting “I Want That Car”, guest appearances on Fifth Gear, live hosting for Goodwood and after-dinner-speeches. This complements her role as Michelin Inspirational Woman, which she was awarded with in 2012, 2013 and again in 2014. Inspiring young ladies to fulfil their dreams and achieve their goals. She is also a Charity Ambassador for the Charity Fuel Card, SMART RISK and a patron for the Help the Heroes 4×4 European Rally.

Rebecca Jackson, A Championship-winning Racing Driver, Telegraph Cars Motoring Journalist & Guinness World Record Holder is in conversation with Namita Nayyar, President Women Fitness.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: You grew up in Horndean, Hampshire. Your love of racing cars must have begun at a young age considering your father was an engineer and your mother a driving instructor. You started your used car business called RJ Internet Showroom in 2007, selling budget cars. At Autosport International 2013, you launched the Project Le Mans, the four-year plan of competing in the endurance race. This plan involved winning the British Racing and Sports Car Club (BRSCC) Porsche Production Boxster class championship 2013, which you’ve won subsequently. Tell us more about this incredible journey and how it all began?

Ms. Rebecca Jackson: It started when I was a baby! My Uncle asked my father what he was going to do with a girl, given his love of cars and fishing! Well I certainly took on the former interest and it has become my life! My mother was not a driving instructor when I was a child, this was a later in life career change. She pushed me around Silverstone in a pram whilst my father was racing. I only stirred to the noise of a V8! Throughout my childhood, I helped my father in the garage maintaining classic cars and learnt a lot about them.

The interest turned into a passion and it wasn’t long after I passed my driving test before I was competing in grass track events, autotests and taking part in track days. After university I set up my car business and when I had enough money to buy a 35 year old Porsche 924, after taking my race licence test, I went racing. In my 2nd season, I got 5 podiums including a race win so decided to take it more seriously and launched Project Le Mans.

All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.

All Written Content Copyright © 2016 Women Fitness

Ms. Namita Nayyar: In 2007, you started a used car business called RJ Internet Showroom. You have now built it up to a high end company, RJ Prestige Cars, which includes Rolls Royce Jaguar and BMW in the stock list of cars for sale and also offers other services such as consultancy. Tell us about this professional accomplishment of yours?

Ms. Rebecca Jackson: Hard work, dedication, learning from every mistake is absolutely crucial to the success of any professional venture. I am offered investment all the time now, which mostly I have to turn down. I have gradually expanded the company year on year and more recently expanded up another bigger level. For me, business is exciting. The car business is in a rhythm now but that doesn’t mean I sit on my laurels. Far from it as we now have a modified range of Defenders called RJ Bespoke, each with a unique build number.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have selected a sport that requires a lot of cohesiveness and absolute understanding between your team of mechanics, your machine, and you the driver to finally succeed. How do you achieve that?

Ms. Rebecca Jackson: It is important to value every single person in the team, everybody is important. I always find this interesting to think about. Imagine, the mechanics sometimes work crazy hours at the race weekends, they will work all night if they need to and us drivers are sleeping. In turn though we could be running from sponsorship meeting to another, writing proposals late at night in the winter, in the off season and unless they are building the car, they might simply be enjoying some time off!

Ms. Namita Nayyar: What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine?

Ms. Rebecca Jackson: Cardio for general fitness, hot yoga for core strength and overall condition mind and body, shoulder and arm strength training specific for racing with Stew Wild, he looks after a lot of racing drivers. I train almost every day.

I do quite a lot of HIT and although I use machines at the gym, in the summer I use kettle bells and dumb bells at home in the garden because I love training outside in the summer. I combine this with an inflatable gym ball to work the core at the same time. If you can work another muscle simultaneously or go to another muscle and work it in a different way in the rest period, the training can be condensed down in time but be equally as effective. My trainer and I alternate push and pull with the arm, shoulder, pec and lat exercises.

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Rebecca Jackson on Women Fitness:

It’s a beautiful website with lots of inviting and inspiring images and writing.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?

Ms. Rebecca Jackson: My diet is high in protein and I eat 8 portions of fruit and veg a day. I have a lot of energy, do lots of training and am incredibly busy so do not let energy levels dip. I eat carbs, avoid processed food, avoid high sugar and I drink plenty of water! 15 minutes before I get in the car, I take an ISO energy gel and it lasts for 40 minutes.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have glowing skin and gorgeous hair. Do you take some kind of skin treatment to keep it young and glowing and secondly what do you do to your hair to make them look so stunning?

Ms. Rebecca Jackson: Thank you! Very healthy diet, plenty of fresh air, a bit of sunshine. I don’t dye my hair, nor do I use straightening irons. I try to let it dry naturally if I can and I love using argan oil when my hair is wet.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: Share with us your Top 3 Fitness Tips.

Ms. Rebecca Jackson: 1. Have a “lazy workout” tucked up your sleeve. Everyone has days where they just can’t be bothered. For me it’s 5km on the cross trainer and 30 press ups and sit ups. Realistically though, once you start, you often get in the mood for doing more.
2. Try to train with others, even just one. It’s motivating and inspiring.
3. Do something you like doing. I prefer cycling to running so I do that more. Choose something that you actually get enjoyment from. You can exercise by accident if you are simply doing a physical activity you like. That said, if you have goals just write them down and stick to the plan!

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Ms. Namita Nayyar: How did you feel before and after setting a new Guinness World Record for the highest number of countries visited by car using a single tank of fuel in an Audi A6, in June 2015?

Ms. Rebecca Jackson: Before, I was excited but also nervous that we might not make 14 countries. Even if we had got 10, it would still be impressive and a world record but we had to set one that was incredibly difficult to beat! After achieving the 14 countries and setting a World Record, we were absolutely over the moon, so chuffed that the great teamwork paid off. We were also very tired because we did almost 28 hours of virtually non stop driving, Andrew Frankel and I taking it in turns every 4 hours.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: You are a television presenter, racing driver, entrepreneur and motoring journalist. How you manage such a remarkable multi-dimensional lifestyle?

Ms. Rebecca Jackson: I’m not sure sometimes! Once I have a rhythm with something I think it takes up less mind space and then I open up a little bit more. I truly believe we were all born with great minds and my aim is to go through life seeing how much of its potential I can release! I love what I do and my self conscious works on things while I do something else, I need only very short breaks, sometimes just 5 or 30 minutes after a 12 hour day and then I’m ready to go again!

I do have to “wear many different hats” and switch between different modes for each part of my lifestyle. For example, I can be quite direct in the way I talk to motortrade people whereas in television there are many more kisses! I guess you could say I am a ‘polychronic’, someone who likes to do several things at once and switch between them instantly.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: You are a presenter on ITV4’s car show ‘I Want That Car’, have been a Guest Presenter at the 25th season of the Fifth Gear and do live hosting for Goodwood. Would you like to share with us your most memorable experience as a presenter on these shows?

Ms. Rebecca Jackson: Definitely bouncing up and down in the Ford Escort, in a bid to maintain traction, that Tiff Needell and I drove up the muddy hills Exeter Trials event. It was just so much fun and another endurance event lasting all night and the next day until 5pm!

Ms. Namita Nayyar: You were awarded the title of the ‘Michelin Inspirational Woman’ consecutively in 2012, 2013 and 2014. How does it feel that you are able to inspire so many individuals?

Ms. Rebecca Jackson: It’s a truly wonderful feeling, that you are worthy of inspiring others. I love inspiring individuals and nurturing them, if anyone feels inspired to follow their dreams and achieve their goals after speaking to me or reading my story then that adds an extra amount of happiness to fulfilling my own dreams.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: What do you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and message for its visitors?

Ms. Rebecca Jackson: It’s a beautiful website with lots of inviting and inspiring images and writing. It feels very empowering for women and I think its visitors should be proud to be strong women, mentally and physically!

To know more about Rebecca Jackson, Check out: http://www.rebeccaracer.com/

To know the latest about her, follow her on social networks:

https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaRacerOfficial/

https://twitter.com/RebeccaRacer

Women Fitness Team thanks Rebecca Jackson for giving her valuable time for this interview and quenching the thirst of her fans to know more about her.

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All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.

All Written Content Copyright © 2016 Women Fitness

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