Trying to begin a career in motorsport journalism was challenging - no university degree, no contacts I could reach out to and no clue where to start. However, after creating a blog towards the end of 2013, one upcoming series caught my eye.
The ABB FIA Formula E Championship was to launch the following year, and this exciting all-electric adventure was a fun and futuristic take on motorsport. I attended the inaugural Monaco E-Prix back in 2015 and was hooked. Soon, I made it my mission to write as much as possible about the racing and all the brilliant talents that found themselves behind the wheel.
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Being an FIA championship, it was also a great way to learn the dos and don'ts of being in a working motorsport paddock; from learning the best ways to engage in a media pen, where to be and when, and following the action from trackside. It opened my eyes, and without the support of Formula E, I don't think I'd be here writing about motorsport as my full-time job.
As my experience and confidence grew, so did the championship. Soon I could develop professional relationships with people representing the biggest manufacturers in motorsport and help improve my credibility, all whilst producing content for my small motorsport blog.
One thing that always stood out to me when attending events and spending most of my time working in media centres was the split of women to men - and in a good way. In Formula E, I could look up from my laptop and see several women covering the championship and doing an amazing job at it.
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Whether they were also journalists like me, working in public relations for a team, talented photographers or social media superstars, I could always find a good group of women to chat with about anything and everything. Even away from media and marketing, there is so much female talent in the garages, from tyre technicians to software and data engineers. That was always special to me, and those friendships are still going strong today. I also can't tell you how important it is to have your own little hype squad during weekends, too.
For me, one of the proudest moments from my time in Formula E came during pre-season testing for Season 5. During a rain-soaked media day, I sought refuge in the Venturi team garage and interviewed one of my heroes, Susie Wolff. Having been appointed Team Principal of the Venturi team - the first woman to hold that role in Formula E history - it was a great privilege to chat with her one-on-one about her journey to that role.
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The moment was made even more special when at the end of our chat, I told her I was one of the first people to sign up for the FIA's Girls On Track programme (formally known as Dare to be Different - founded by Wolff). Being part of a community of like-minded women and feeling supported and understood was a huge confidence-builder for me. Also, seeing others out there in various paddocks and living their dream was so inspiring.
I was also the first to break the news of ATTACK MODE, and have loved being able to interview your favourite paddock personalities over the last decade!
My role within Formula E changed at the start of GEN3, going from writing for own website to now representing the championship. Working in a freelance capacity, I attend all rounds of the calendar and work closely with the editorial team whilst on the ground and in between races to ensure the website is populated with stories, reports, interviews and features. They have also extended their trust by placing me in a broadcast capacity for Season 10, appearing on digital-led shows like The Added Lap and on the pre and post-race shows on YouTube.
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I'm very thankful to Formula E for allowing me to develop and learn over these past 10 seasons that I have covered this championship, and I can't wait to see what the future holds.