Ex-navigator Wambui writing history in motorsport world
From left: Joan Apondi, Assistant Rally Headquarters WRC Safari Rally, Joan Nesbit -Competitor Relations Officer WRC Safari Rally and Hellen Shiri WRC Safari Rally Project Event Secretary at Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi on June 3, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Wambui is part of the other four senior ladies who play strong roles in the running of the Safari Rally.
- The rest are Helen Shiri (Secretary of the Event), Caroline Gatimu (Scrutineer), Tuta Mionki (FIA Trainee Officer) and Joan Nisbbitt (Competitor Relation Officer). All the ladies are associates of the Abdul Sid Rally training courses.
Magdalene Wambui continues to write motorsport history showing that it as much a woman’s world as it is a man’s.
Wambui, who had a brief stint as a navigator, is the Assistant Secretary of Stewards for the 2023 WRC Safari Rally. She becomes the first indigenous Kenyan woman to hold such a position in the history of the Safari Rally.
“Rallying is a big part of my life. I am passionate about it and every day is a learning curve as rules keep changing and one has to kept updated. It has enabled me to travel and interact with amazing people who I also learn from and in a nutshell it’s like a global village,” Wambui told Nation Sport Wednesday.
Wambui will be working closely with Yvonne Gilli, who has over 15 years of experience as a WRC Secretary of Stewards.
Wambui’s work will involve taking care of all the FIA Delegates nominated by the FIA. She has already started working, coordinating their travel plans to ensure their arrivals, transfers and stay are seamless.
Wambui explained: “I have done this since 2014 when Safari was a round of ARC until it returned to the WRC. I have also held the same position in the Rwanda Mountain Gorilla rally for six years.
During this year’s Safari Rally, Wambui will be in charge of circulating relevant information to the delegates on the running of the event from the stewards office.
She will also plan for summons and hearing for crew which may need to visit the stewards office and overally ensure the stewards office runs well.
Wambui made history recently by being a track marshall at the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix.
“This was the cream of motorsport in Formula One and I joined 24 other ladies from all over the world as part of the Women in Motorsport Volunteer & Officials Commission.
“It was an unforgettable experience, I networked and got some best practise we could borrow for our home events.”
Wambui has visited Rwanda on several occassions as the Secretary of Stewards and recently the UK for the Wales Rally GB through the WRC Safari Rally Project on a training and observation mandate.
Wambui had a short stint as a navigator and was also head of Marshalls for Safari 2012. She thanks Abdul Sidi for the special training lessons that have made her stay at the helm of KMSF for several years and learnt a lot of rally organisation.
Wambui is part of the other four senior ladies who play strong roles in the running of the Safari Rally.
The rest are Helen Shiri (Secretary of the Event), Caroline Gatimu (Scrutineer), Tuta Mionki (FIA Trainee Officer) and Joan Nisbbitt (Competitor Relation Officer). All the ladies are associates of the Abdul Sid Rally training courses.
