This time last year Mark Winterbottom was poised to win his first championship One year later, a new first-time champion has been crowned, leaving the veterans to contemplate their own mortality in this game.
This time last year, I was in awe of everything around me and I was doing my best to not be a giddy school girl volunteering at my second Supercars event. I felt so incredibly lucky to be sitting in a room full of some the most notable motorsport journalists and photographers not only in Australia, but around the world. Many things have changed for me over the past 11 months – I’ve moved out of home (again), started a new job in a new town, made new friends and celebrated my first two-year anniversary with a boyfriend. I’ve learned a few life lessons, and there are a couple that are taking longer to sink in that I would like.
This time last year I had just finished my degree and was eagerly anticipating life after university.
This time, this year one thing hasn’t changed. I still feel incredibly lucky for the opportunities I have been given and the people I get to spend my days with on race weekends. The collective knowledge of motorsport and photography and journalism all working towards the same goal is awe-inspiring.
Every single person I have met since I began volunteering is here because they love what they do. They are here because they want to be, they aren’t just showing up to the office to collect a paycheque every week.
As this year draws to a close, there are many more changes on the horizon and we are reminded that nothing is for certain. Long-time stalwarts have found (or are still looking for) new homes and young guns with bright futures are making names for themselves with each passing race. We are also saying goodbye to Sydney Olympic Park, which has been home to the season finale since 2009.
What I’m trying to say, and not doing so very eloquently at all, is pretty simple: so much can change in a year. For me, 2016 has been an adjustment period and a year full of things that I would do a little differently if I were given the chance. While this year definitely had its highs, it also had some lows and that will be very happy to shake off once the clock strikes midnight. In 2017 (much like the finale round for Supercars) I’m looking forward to moving on to bigger and better things.