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Jane Dufty Special Correspondent
THE Formula One season ended spectacularly — for all the wrong reasons — in 2021.
In what has seemed a season full of clashes on and off the track, one of the few things that all of the drivers had in common was that they started their motor racing career in a go kart. Indeed, go-karting is one of the most accessible forms of motorsport that there is. Are there, for example gender or physical barriers?
Not if you speak to Malee Hanscombe-Parsell, a slight, 10-year-old girl studying at home school! Malee’s father, Ronnie Parsell, has been involved in motorsport for many years and he has encouraged his children to also take part. However, his daughter Malee has mild cerebral palsy and although profoundly deaf, uses a cocklear implant to enable her to hear.
Would she be able to take part in motorsport, he and his wife Bronwyn wondered?
A family day out to Sables Kart Club in 2020 would prove to them that go-karting was the perfect starting point for Malee to join the rest of the family in their motorsport pursuits.
Bronwyn remembers: “We spent the day watching others take part in races and at the end, some of the children who had been watching were asked if they would like to have a go. Before we could take a breath, there was Malee lining up to have a go — first in the line!”
Despite initial misgivings, Ronnie and Bronwyn were encouraged by Darnie Steyn, the Sables Kart Club chairman, to let Malee have a go.
“I loved every lap I did that day!” grins Malee from behind the wheel of her eye-catching purple kart that she drove in five out of the seven races in the 2021 Rok Cup Zimbabwe championship.
“I would have driven in all of the races, but it took me a while to convince everyone that I could do karting!” she laughs. Bronwyn agrees. “It took a while to get the permissions for Malee to race from the national sporting body but we were determined though. With support from Kevin and Zac Dufty, Malee put in months of practice at Pole Position Karts, the rental kart track and was able to demonstrate to everyone she was capable of racing against everyone else!”
“Once Malee had her racing licence, Kevin helped us to secure a kart for Malee and even helped us get the driving kit. Malee is a determined child and she never backs down from any of the challenges she has faced. Karting has changed Malee from a frustrated and angry girl to a calm and steady child. It has made her realise that even though she has disabilities and other people may doubt her, she can achieve anything other children can.”
Malee said: “My best result was fourth, out of 10 in my class this year. I’m the only girl who races and I love it. I’m not scared at all! My dream is to race karts for Zimbabwe in other countries!”
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