"That's what happens when you attend a RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) camp - you get to race V8 Supercars" would be a slight exaggeration... Organised by our resident car racing enthusiast, Ian Mayberry, Jesse Dixon might be the only RYLA attendee ever who had raced at the Bathurst 1000 - before attending the camp (he started racing GoKarts at 6 years of age). Still, he left no doubt that this experience had a profound impact on his future career. Jesse recounted moments when, every morning, the wake-up call "Goooood morning, Vietnam" (from 1987 film, starring Robin Williams) came. Team work exercises (yes, you guessed it: Jesse was unanimously elected Team Leader), singing in front of an audience, building rafts. But more than anything, Jesse remembers the sharing of 'stories of your darkest moments'. "I lost my dad of cancer at a young age" he recalls. "We learned how important it is to truly think first before you judge somebody" he said.In the photo, Jesse holds the first ever GoKart steering wheel, when a very supportive mum encouraged him to take racing seriously. Meanwhile, he runs the Dixon Racing Academy, with "the singular mission to be the ultimate driver academy for racers at all levels" His facilities include a simulator, so tuition can occur in a safe (and far less costly if you crash) environment. Jesse indicated that he would be happy to host a vocational visit - we'll organise this for sometimes in February/March 2025. Watch this spot.
One final must watch item: click on this link to view a video where he demonstrates a 'Hot Lap' to a lady who has never been in a race car. Sound is useful, but not essential - just watch her expressions. It went viral, and no wonder! There is also a copy of his PowerPoint presentation (in PDF format) in the Dowload Files section on the right.