SHAH ALAM - Plunging herself into the cut-throat, male-dominated world of motorcycle racing at a young age, Nur Atikah Azwar could have easily succumbed to multiple obstacles that stood in her way, using her gender as the perfect excuse for a swift exit.
But the 27-year old has grown from strength to strength since a severely broken arm after a crash in a race scared her parents enough to order her to stop racing.
The Tobaki Pink Racing Team founder and owner has not only become the only female team principal in hte Petronas Malaysian Cub Prix Championship, but she has also developed a strong following in another male-dominated segment - as a motorcycle reviewer via her popular Youtube channel 'Rider Helmet Pink' and has now expanded to serve audiences on TikTok as well.
Carrying a holistic view of interconnecting the various facets of motorsports and the industry, the National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM) graduate with a degree in Human Resources for Defense holder, has been fascinated by motorcycles since she was 10 and first explored her interest by riding her father's motorcycle without him knowing.
"This motorsports team is not only for riders and mechanics but beyond that, we need to show the world that women too can be involved in this sport," she said, adding that despite catering for the larger market, she felt the need to play her role to attract more women into the industry.
"Malaysia needs more female riders. Not only that, we need more female rider coaches and female mechanics," she told Sinar Daily during the soft launch of Pink Racing X Liqui Moly on Feb 20.
Atikah believed that there were many good Malaysian female riders who do not receive the required exposure.
"Because of this, I have expressed my desire to collaborate with Penang Motorsport to hold a camp to hone the talent of female riders, and this is also in my plans for TPRT in 2023.
And she is no slouch when it comes to her knowledge and skills on the subject, having learned to repair all types of motorcycles from her brother at a young age despite her family initially not being supportive of her having an interest in motorsports because of her gender.
However, she demonstrated to her family that she could survive in this sport, and her parents finally gave her their blessing.
Speaking on time management, Atikah agreed that she sacrificed many things, especially quality time with her family.
"But, I will try to manage my time for my family as well. I will try my best to strike a balance between family and career," she added.
As a team owner, she also expressed her future plans for her team, which include expanding to the areas of motorcycle research and development, social media marketing, and rider management.
Via her content creation, Atikah has also earned respect from her male counterpart with her motorcycle reviews earning her not just a large following among women, but men seeking knowledge about motorcycles and related products.
"I have been making YouTube videos since 2019. I shared my experiences on motorsports and recorded all my motorcycle activities. However, YouTube has a trend. After the movement control order (MCO) last year, it kind of dropped, and I switched to TikTok.
"I also made a video for the Cub Prix event. I also tried to make a video with the riders who competed in the Cub Prix," she added.
When asked if she plans to compete in the upcoming 2023 Cub Prix, she stated that she wants to prioritise managing her team.
"It will affect my team if I am one of the riders. So, to show my support, I want to manage and support my team very well, and I wish the best for the 2023 Cub Prix, InshaAllah." The 2023 Petronas Malaysian Cub Prix Championship will begin with Round 1 at the Sepang Circuit on Feb 25.