In India, sports like cricket, football, badminton, and hockey are more prevalent than others. A majority of Indians passionately watch these sports while sidelining many others which are popular in the rest of the world. Amongst these is the Formula One (F1) racing. Most Indians haven't even heard of F1 racing, let alone watch it ardently.
However, a girl from a rural area in Kerala not only followed the sport but also dreamt of becoming one of the racing drivers. She was so thrilled and swayed by the speed and the precision of control that she decided to choose F1 racing as her career. This is the story of Salva Marjan, who is set to become the first woman from Kerala to participate in the sport.
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Born on July 24, 1999, Salva Marjan lives in Perambra in rural Kozhikode, Kerala. Her family consists of her father, Chembra Panachingal Kunjamu, mother, Subaida, and siblings, Sahla, Sinan, and Sabith. Salva is a Business Management graduate and entered professional motorsports in 2018. However, her journey was not that simple.
Salva faced several hurdles in her journey, including a financial crisis and criticism of society for her choice of profession. While Salva overcame financial hurdles by working several jobs and even venturing into entrepreneurship, her family's unwavering support made her quell the criticism of society. During an interview with The Hindu, Salva mentioned:
"They (her parents) were lectured on how to bring up girls, how girls were not supposed to take up such risks or be so independent. But my parents never differentiated between us based on our gender. Neither did they set any limits for me."
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At the age of 25, Salva Marjan is all set to become the first woman from Kerala to participate in the Formula 1 Academy organised by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) in January 2025. She started her Formula Racing career in India with Formula LGB racing at DTS Racing, a popular entry-level racing series. In 2023, she competed in both the F4 UAE championship and the F4 Indian championship. Salva has completed 150 laps in F4 thus far, succeeding in 119 of them.
Despite having only begun her career in 2018, her enthusiasm for the sport made up for her lack of experience, positioning her as one of the top drivers on the Indian F4 circuit. In search of better training and prospects, she relocated to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where she is currently getting ready for the F1 Academy. All in all, Salva is a self-made racing driver.
During the same conversation with The Hindu, the 25-year-old racing driver opened up about the challenges a female motorsports athlete faces than a male. She highlighted that a woman's body type, function, and energy levels are different, which significantly impacts their endurance capacity. Salva was quoted as saying:
"Our body types, functions and energy levels are different. It makes a difference in the endurance capacity. Inside a racing car, the temperature is often 40°C. The braking pressure required in curves is 60 to 100 kg. One loses around 4 kg of body weight during the races. A racer should have the same physique of a fighter pilot, including quick reflexes."
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Despite being a gifted and passionate racing driver, Salva Marjan has also faced a few setbacks. During the interaction, she revealed that she has had some dismal results, spins, and collisions in races, which made her think of giving up on her dream. However, she didn't because her love of racing always drew her back, and she learned from her past mistakes.
At present, Salva Marjan is the brand ambassador for Next Level Racing, which partially supports her training expenses. The 25-year-old discussed the possibility of qualifying from the F1 Academy since it would relieve her of a financial burden that has long hampered her aspirations and bring prestige. Salva's ultimate objective is to compete for India in Formula 1, setting a new standard for female drivers and motivating the upcoming generation of athletes.
What are your thoughts on Salva Marjan's inspiring journey?
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