From College to the Racetrack

East Sussex College Pathways student Daisy Fox-Damer is balancing time in the classroom with time on the racetrack - proving that with the right support, you can follow your passion and stay on track with your education.

While studying on the Pathways course at East Sussex College, Daisy's also gearing up for one of the UK’s top junior motorbike racing competitions - the Bemsee Team Green Junior Cup.

To prepare, Daisy recently spent five days training at Circuito de Almería in Spain, a track known for hosting top riders from around the world.

“[The experience] was challenging!”, said Daisy. “I was on a new bike that I hadn’t rode before, so I had to learn the feel of the bike. It took about 2-3 days to learn the setup and feel comfortable. After that it was really successful.”

She’ll be racing at circuits across the UK this summer and is excited to see how far she can go in the championship.

“I’m looking forward to the feel of racing with everybody and seeing what I can learn from the different rounds, seeing the progress that I have made in my own journey, with those people.”

Daisy’s journey into racing started young, and her drive to keep improving is what keeps her on the track.

“Well, my dad has had motorbikes since I was young, so I have grown up around them. I got asked one day if I was going to get my bike license one day and then before you know it, I had! Even my parents didn’t know how serious it was going to get, it was something that had crossed my mind a lot; so, I just woke up one day and went for it.”

Back in Hastings, she’s part of the Pathways programme - a course designed to support students with a mix of classroom learning and real-world experience.

“One the course, I enjoy the teachers. You can have a proper laugh with them which I haven’t had before, which makes the lessons more interesting when you have a teacher that you get on with.”

Along the way, she’s also picked up key skills - not just for racing, but for life in general.

“I am an only child and haven’t been in an educational environment since year 9, so coming back to Pathways has helped me build my confidence with socialising and meeting new people, new experiences, without freaking out.”

For anyone thinking about following their passion while studying, Daisy has some advice:

“I would say don’t prioritise one over the other,” Daisy told the College. “You need to make equal efforts with both and work hard with it! It’s so easy to get disheartened when you make a mistake in either of these things. When something goes wrong out there, I start thinking - no I can’t do this, and it knocks my confidence – but when I know that I am passionate about something, I’ll go back out there until I get it right.

“So, if you want to do something different, make sure it is something important to you.”

Daisy is a great example of how East Sussex College helps students grow in and outside the classroom - whether they’re aiming for university, a career, or the winner’s podium.