Laleh; Iran’s Speed Queen

It was unbelievable but they had to believe it. They had to accept their failure like real men and stand on the second and third places. Because higher than them there was a little, slim, beautiful girl firmly standing on the platform, with a smile on her face and a shaking hand. Could it be possible? Yes, it could be. She wanted it and she could do it. She did it. That’s why they call her “The Little Schumacher”.

She started years ago, since she took her high school diploma and driving licence together. She promised herself not to be afraid of any event. Even a sad and tragic subject for drivers like “Death”.

Iranian girls usually start their 19th year of life with university: “I liked industrial management. So I started with it and then I took my Masters and later on my PhD.

Working and sport alongside education makes life very difficult and busy. She took on gunshot as a sport. But she ended up with race driving; the “patriarch” Rally. The fear of “death” stops many men to be a race driver. The same for women.

But Laleh Seddigh is very calm to accept the reality of life: “Graduated from High School, I felt that I need to face with any reality in my life. I went to the graveyard, several times. To be honest for first time I was really scared. But little by little I understood it. Now I don’t have any problem to defy the death. It is not my will. The same I was born, someday I’ll die.”

Laleh is one of rare muslim women who chose race driving. Iranian women have been driving on the streets of Iran for more than 40 years. But still most of them have not tasted the race driving, because they are afraid of death.

For Laleh, gender is not the matter. The matter for her is experience and skills: “I know. Rally is a manly sport. Most ’successful’ race drivers are men. But I don’t care to be in competition with men or women. That’s what I want. A competition to enjoy. With skillful and experienced drivers.”

There are people out there who are rich. Sure part of them really tried their best and suffered many problems to be who they are. Maybe most of you think that the Rally is just for wealthy people. But Laleh comes from an average family with an average income: “I spend money for the Rally, like somebody else spends money for business. Rally is what I want to take more experiences in. Now I am working on my project whose subject is ‘Reparation Of Industrial Engines’. I am like some women who change their jewels day to day. With the difference that my jewel is my car.”

Maybe it is the race driving which has made her very tireless and strong. She is feminine, she is nice, but not afraid of hard jobs: “Last week I was searching for a gardener and I didn’t find any. So I decided to experience gardening too.”

She says One day since morning to night, she just worked in the garden, planted many flowers and trees and arranged them in the way she wanted: “I cut the useless thorny branches of the Rose. I was not afraid of doing it myself.“