Taylor Thring Takes Her Burn Out the Bully Initiative Full Speed Ahead
Story By: JIM CLARKE / TAYLOR THRING RACING – BURLINGTON, ONT – All across the province, the motorsports community continues its growth; taking both standard and non-traditional routes through the course of its development. More and more, female participants are earning their place in the spotlight in what had been a male dominated vocation.
While the level of attention they receive at the track is often the same as the men they’re racing against, the struggles they face behind the scenes can be entirely different.
While chasing checkered flags in her Ford Mustang Mini Stock is one of her favorite things to do, just as important for Taylor Thring is creating awareness for her Burn Out the Bully initiative. The 18 year-old, third-generation speedster from Burlington, Ontario is looking to do her part so that others can avoid the same, life-changing issues she had encountered. The young racer is looking to bring an end to bullying.
“For me, everything started with a misunderstanding and snowballed from there,” Taylor Thring said. “I was involved in a promotional campaign at school for a local food drive and helped get the word out for it through my racing program. To make a long story short, there was a falling-out with some of my best friends, followed by accusations on social media and torment at school that resulted in me having to leave the school and finish my grade 12 in a different city and through on-line studies. It was an incredibly difficult experience, but I’m trying to put it all behind me and make the best of a very bad situation.”
After spending the early stages of her career at Flamboro Speedway, near Hamilton, Ontario Taylor Thring will take her anti-bullying crusade and its positive message to Sunset Speedway, north of the GTA for the 2018 season. The teen-aged advocate says she hopes to continue spreading the word and helping to build support for her cause.
“The racing community is amazing and everyone has been very supportive in helping me get the message out,” Taylor Thring added. “Things were awesome during the 2017 season at the local tracks that I traveled to, with drivers carrying the #BurnOuttheBully sticker on their cars and buying t-shirts and sweaters to wear. I’ve worked hard to get to where we are right now and there’s no telling how much further we can go.”