E67: Renee Brinkerhoff - Rallying for a cause

Seven years ago, when Colorado-based mother and wife
Renee Brinkerhoff decided to completely change
her life to become both a racer and global philanthropist, she
never envisioned her efforts could also change the lives of women
and children worldwide.  However, since 2013, her race team
Valkyrie Racing and foundation Valkyrie
Gives have earned global recognition for her
personal quest to end the plight of human trafficking on an
international scale. In 2020 she was set to conquer the ultimate
challenge as the first to ever bring a vintage Porsche to
Antarctica and drive 356 miles on ice, as the conclusion of a
7-continent journey that will have spanned nearly 20,000 miles
around the globe to bring awareness to and raise funds for the
cause.  


According to Renee, the forthcoming winter expedition will be a
trifecta of sorts, with an end goal of raising $1 million through
her ‘Project 356 World Rally Tour’ – an effort alone that has
already secured more than $200,000 toward her goal. 
“Antarctica will be the most beautiful, yet dangerous terrain
we’ve yet to encounter with ourselves and our vintage car,” she
explained. 


“While the weather remains one of the largest hurdles, it’s going
to be our technical mission to lightweight the car and stay on
track in a carbon positive way,” said Renee.  “We’ve got a
team that has already earned a world record in polar exploration,
and we intend to set a few of our own along the way!”


 


Joining Renee as her navigator will be Jason de Carteret, a
British polar explorer who has held both skiing and vehicle world
records for polar exploration. “Our upcoming fete will be an
amazing crescendo in the epic journey Renee has already created
on a global scale,” said Jason.  “There is an enormous
educational lesson to be learned in all she’s doing, let alone
the history and heritage that her car provides.”


Renee’s Porsche 356 is currently being prepped in the UK and will
join the expedition team in Chile in late November, before
boarding a cargo plane to arrive in Antarctica. The last leg of
the expedition also has the potential of setting a world record
for rallying a vintage car on all seven continents, as well as a
land speed record within Antarctica.


RENEE’S ROLE


For a small woman, Renee has created an immense voice for a
deeply rooted exploitation of human beings.  Her involvement
has not only broadened awareness, but she personally brings much
needed funds, support, education and supplies to pre-vetted
shelters she meets with globally that house women and children
who are both survivors and victims.  Personal meetings and
on-site involvement have already taken place with organizations
in remote areas within China, Mongolia, Peru and Kenya. 
Each contribution begins a means to educate and support
those that have survived human trafficking while taking
instrumental steps to foster awareness that can help to end the
global issue completely. 


Additionally, this past January, Renee was selected by the U.S.
NGO Exodus Road to be part of a carefully vetted and selected
group of volunteer operatives to head to Asia, where she embarked
on an anti-human trafficking effort to rescue and restore
victims, including children who are sex trafficked.  The
investigation was part of an evidence gathering effort to build
stronger cases for successful rescue missions for police on a
global basis.  Within a team consisting of former Army
Special Forces and current members of undercover US law
enforcement, she was able to secretly meet with children and
prostitutes to gain insight leading to imminent arrests -- their
overall efforts will be supporting the work of nationals on the
ground fighting sex trafficking with local police partners. 


BLENDING RACING AND SOCIAL ISSUES


After beginning her rally career at the age of 56in 2012, Renee
was determined to take on her own self-imposed challenge of
completing six endurance races in seven continents and utilize
the world stage of endurance racing as a channel to support
charitable efforts.  By extending her own personal
philanthropic mission on a global level through her dedication to
fight child trafficking, a cause she has championed throughout
her racing involvement, Renee has spoken at orphanages, engaged
hundreds of foreign children and provided education to keep
children safe.


The charitable effort grew by balancing her rally car
competition, Valkyrie Racing, with her own non-profit ‘Valkyrie
Gives.’  Her determination sought donations and direct
financial support to counter child exploitation and human
trafficking in poorer parts of the world – and her rallying
became a visual means to grow the awareness. 


Individual fundraising programs to date have raised more than
$200,000 and Renee will be continuing to distribute those funds
in the form of practical gifts and educational support. 
With a mission to raise $1 million through ‘Project 356 World
Rally Tour’ efforts, Valkyrie Gives will be contributing 100% of
all dollars raised to the cause.


Through her own personal drive, Renee brings a global perspective
to her own enthusiastic vision – along with a dedication to never
quit. Her prior rally experience has ranged from earning class
victories in the dangerous and highly acclaimed La Carrera
Panamericana race which she has participated in for four years in
her car, to making history as the ‘only woman-driven team to
finish the race each year she has partaken.  Additionally,
her team has podiumed each of the four participating years –
winning two first place and two-second place victories. 


Please view video
at: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5lolvhmxjr8n1rw/Project%20356%20LONG%200809.mp4?dl=0


ABOUT VALKYRIE RACING


Learn more about the exciting story of Valkyrie Racing/Valkyrie
Gives and follow Renee Brinkerhoff’s progress on the team
website at www.valkyrieracing.com , through
Instagram@valkyrie_racing or at @valkyrieracing on
Facebook.  Contact the team via info@racevalkyrie.com


 


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