Her story: Meet Iryna Nadieieva

An inspirational rider from Kyiv
Ukraine’s 29 year-old Iryna Nadieieva is a woman of many talents who has arrived into top level racing at a relatively late age, having first ridden competitively just four years ago. As a gifted gymnast who is also adept at wakeboarding and snowboarding, she recognises that motorcycles and racing are her true passion. She proudly takes her place on the inaugural WorldWCR grid, hoping to inspire more young Ukranians to get into racing and she dreams of one day seeing a female MotoGP™ World Champion.
 
Buying her first bike with a friend
Explaining how she got into riding on the road first, before taking the path into racing Nadieieva reveals, “I didn’t have enough money for my own bike, so a friend and I decided to buy a Yamaha FZ8 together. I had never been on a bike before. It was unforgettable. If it is close to your heart and you like it, you will understand that from the first moment you try it. It’s a very emotional thing. Motorcycles have given me the best feelings I’ve ever had in my life. I will never forget my first time on a bike and I will never forget my first race. I can’t imagine with what I could replace bikes in my life.” Once she had fallen in love with motorcycles, it was clear that they would eventually become an integral part of her daily life…
 
Nadieieva’s story in racing
“My story is ‘from the road to race track”, says the Ukrainian rider, “I only started racing when I was 25. I wanted to improve my riding, because I wasn’t very confident in my city riding and wanted to do it better. That moment I couldn’t even imagine where this decision would lead me. I found a nice coach and in Kyiv it is difficult with track days, because we have no normal tracks, so we train on karting tracks.” She details how she has quickly made progress from smaller, local circuits and lower capacity bikes to racing at the elite level against the most talented female riders on the planet, adding, “I started on karting tracks on a small bike. My first race was at the first round of Ukrainian SBK 2020. I crashed on the first lap on Saturday and got my first podium on Sunday. I felt so alive and absolutely happy. At the end of the season I was second among the women and at the end of 2021 I was already first in the Women’s class and second overall in the Ukrainian STK600 class. In the following years I trained and raced on a Yamaha R1 in the Spanish Yamaha Cup. There were many failures and many victories. But the main thing is that I’m still able to learn, acquire new skills and get faster every day.”
 
Convincing a reluctant family with her racing
Unlike many pro riders who have been encouraged into the sport from a young age by parents and families with a background in racing, Nadieieva has forged her own path into competitive riding. Indeed, it’s even taken some convincing through both actions and words to convince her inner circle of the beauty of racing. She openly states, “My parents never dreamed in their wildest dreams that their daughter would race a motorcycle. In my country there are a lot of stereotypes that motorcycling is an extremely dangerous and very masculine sport. My family initially took my hobby very badly. Mom cried a lot. It took me two years to prove to those around me that this is an interesting sport that requires a lot of work and professionalism. That women can be fast. That it is about discipline and willpower. Now my family supports me a lot and I know that many girls go to Ukrainian motorcycle schools because they want to be like me. This inspires me every day.”

So proud to represent her country
“In my opinion my participation in WorldWCR is super important for my country,” Nadieieva asserts. “Racing is at a very poor level in Ukraine. We have just one race track, called “Chaika”. It was built in 1973 and never renovated. This season will be challenging for me and my team. Surely we will learn a lot about racing and will be able to teach others. I hope that my participation will help to increase people’s interest in racing. I want to show how beautiful this sport is. I hope that racing will develop in Ukraine, infrastructure will be built and many little boys and girls will be able to get a good training base to perform well in competition. Of course I’m very proud to represent Ukraine. People in Ukraine are very persistent, hard-working. We know how not to give up and go to the end. I will try to be worthy of my country.”

Facing more challenges
In addition to having to convince her family and train in a country where the sport is still in its early stages, there have been more challenges she’s had to deal with throughout her career. “For one, it’s difficult to find gear that fits me properly. It’s almost impossible to walk into a store and find a women’s suit in my size. Finding the right suspension springs for my weight, especially for a 1000 bike, is also a challenge,” she notes.

The experience thus far in WorldWCR
“I feel like the WorldSBK paddock is very friendly and very warm,” acknowledges Nadieieva, explaining what she has discovered this year to date on the WorldWCR grid. “I thought the competition would be colder maybe, but I feel it’s really good. The girls are wonderful, I like to communicate with them very much. The guys are always very helpful and I think that the competition is very fair. It really is a very cool place to be. It feels like friends who want to compete with each other. It’s sport at a very high level, but what I feel and what I’ve seen there is absolutely wonderful.”

Q&A with Iryna

What made you choose motorcycle racing specifically? “I’ve tried a lot of sports in my life. I do snowboarding and wakeboarding, I did gymnastics and dancing. I can still do a double somersault on a trampoline, I can walk on my hands and do the splits. I have many hobbies, but unfortunately, there is not enough time to do everything. I love the mountains and snowboarding, especially off-piste riding. Besides that, I love to dance and I take dance classes in Kyiv. I really enjoy technical sports. I like drifting and after finishing my motorcycle career, I would like to try my hand at drift championships. I have taken part in several circuit car races, which were also very fun. But motorcycle racing brings me real happiness. Therefore, racing is a very balanced and deliberate decision for me.”

What do you do aside from racing? “I graduated from school with honours and completed a master’s degree in international business. I also have a second higher education qualification in the German language. I have now quit my previous job so I can concentrate on racing.”

Who is your favourite athlete outside of motorcycle racing? “My favourite athlete outside of motorcycling is Lewis Hamilton. His skill, determination, and passion for racing are truly inspiring. I’m also a big fan of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. Their commitment to excellence and continuous innovation sets a high standard in the world of motorsports.”

Who is your favourite rider? “This is a very difficult question because there are so many great racers. But this year, I’m rooting for the young Pedro Acosta. He’s a champion! I saw a lot of interviews with him and I think that he is a super nice guy. Sometimes you see someone in the media and understand that he is a good person, I’m just sure that he is! It is always great when new, young faces come through in sports. He’s started his first season in MotoGP™ very well. At the first race in Qatar he was great, he made a lot of overtakes and then he lost some positions because he just needed to have more experience. He is a very bright person in MotoGP™ and I hope one day he will become the World Champion.”

Who is the female athlete that inspires you the most? “Surely it is Leticia Bufoni, the skateboarder from Brazil. She is absolutely crazy! I like her lifestyle and respect her achievements and hard work.”

What inspired you to pursue competitive riding? “Every time I ride my bike I know that I can do it better. I just need to train more, work more and compete more. I love watching races, I admire my competitors, I love motorcycles. All this helps me to move forwards.”

What do you hope to convey to young aspiring female riders who may be watching WorldWCR? “Believe in yourself. Try with all your strength and remember that you are no worse than anyone else. Start with your first training session, a pitbike, or an amateur race. If this is your passion, you will realise it right away. Yes, it may be easier for some and harder for others. In any field, there are always people who are more talented, have more money, more experience, better training facilities, and more opportunities. But if you truly want it, you will always succeed. Never get discouraged and never give up. Dream Big. Your deepest desires have a way of coming true. I dream of seeing one of you girls competing in MotoGP™.”

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