Kim McCallan will go where no Bermudian woman has gone before when she competes at this weekend’s St Clair River Classic in Michigan.

The former Bermuda Power Boat Association commodore is making her debut as a driver in the American Power Boat Association Offshore Championship with American syndicate Nobody’s Business Offshore Racing, and is the first Bermudian woman to compete at this level.

“This is an exciting opportunity to represent Bermuda as the first Bermudian female to race with and among some of the finest in the sport of powerboat racing,” said McCallan, who departs for Michigan today.

“The level of competition is high and extreme sports typically require an extraordinary amount of skill. They also require a lot of focus and dedicated training and development, which is often long-term.”

The event will be held on Sunday and features various classes that will compete in as many as five races.

McCallan is competing in the ProStock V class on board her team’s 30-foot Phantom, which is powered by a 500-horsepower inboard motor.

The mother of one is up for the task at hand and also encouraged by her team’s pre-race preparations.

“I did some pre-race testing on Lake Norman, North Carolina, two weeks ago and it went extremely well,” McCallan said. “I did a couple of passes, reached speeds of 90.6 and some high-speed turns.”

McCallan has made a remarkable comeback from multiple injuries she suffered, which included a broken elbow and a concussion, after being thrown from the racing catamaran she was competing in during the 2016 Rubis Around the Island Power Boat Race.

“I must say this was the first time getting back into a race boat without feeling nervous,” she added. “I think I’ve trained myself to breathe, relax and focus on what I have to do, which helps a great deal.

“It also helps when you have a great team there to assist and support you. Chris Uzzi [the team’s owner and regular driver] will be throttle. He’s a great teacher and that showed during our testing.”

McCallan is now among a growing number of woman drivers involved in the male-dominated sport.

“There are other female drivers and one that stands out is Lindsey Denooyer,” she said. “She races in a 32 Doug Wright with twin 300 Mercury racing with her dad, Jim.

“The first time I saw her race was last year in Englewood, and she definitely is an inspiration.”