Katheryn Blewett, from Adelaide, South Australia, spent eight years of her life working as a grid girl at motorsport events.
Now, the lawyer and blogger has spoken out about the 'inevitable roasting' of grid girls ahead of the coming season and hit back at growing demands for the girls to be removed from the sport entirely.
'Whenever this topic arises, I find myself incessantly rolling my eyes. Sadly, it is seldom men who spurr this debate, but predictably, more often women,' Mrs Blewett wrote in her blog post.
Reflecting: Katheryn Blewett (pictured at the Allan Border Medal in January), from Adelaide, South Australia, spent eight years of her life working as a grid girl at motorsport events
Hitting back: Now, the lawyer and blogger (pictured left in 2009) has spoken out about the 'inevitable roasting' of grid girls ahead of the coming season and hit back at growing demands for the girls to be removed from the sport entirely
First hand: The young former lawyer and wife of former Australian cricketer Greg Blewett (left), said she can only speak first hand about her own fabulous experience on the grid during her time as an official Clipsal 500 grid girl
'So exactly why is it that we should consider banning grid girls at our major motorsporting event? Is it because women are being oversexualised? Perhaps being a grid girl is now an outdated concept?'
'Is it that times have changed and there is a movement to protect women and have them viewed in a more meaningful light? Are grid girls sending the wrong message to the younger girls of our generation? Or is it simply that wives and girlfriends are jealous that their husbands are looking at attractive, alluring, women on the grid?'
Mrs Blewett suggests it may be all of the above.
Why ban them? Ms Blewett (left), said spousal jealousy, over sexualisation and/or a movement to protect women could be to blame for the growing demand to have them removed
'I am well aware of the stigma and stereotyping that has been attached to the title of grid girl': Ms Blewett said many of the negative labels given to grid girls are 'ignorant'
Successful and happy: During her time at Clipsal she studied a double degree in Law and Arts and became a lawyer at one of Adelaide's most prestigious law firms
The young former lawyer and wife of former Australian cricketer Greg Blewett, said she can only speak first hand about her own fabulous experience on the grid during her time as an official Clipsal 500 grid girl - the 'highest ranking in terms of being a grid girl.'
'I am well aware of the stigma and stereotyping that has been attached to the title of "grid girl." The terms "slutty," "skanky" and "dumb" are all commonplace remarks just as much as they are also ignorant,' Mrs Blewett said.
During her time at Clipsal she studied a double degree in Law and Arts and became a lawyer at one of Adelaide's most prestigious law firms.
'Does that render me "dumb?"' She asked. 'Meanwhile, many of the other girls in the grid team were also either studying, had university degrees or were working professionals.'
From the inside: On top of Mrs Blewett and all Clipsal grid girls competing against hundreds of others for the role, she said the role itself is far more demanding than people realise
Media responsibilities, photo shoots, interviews, parades and functions: 'It’s not as simple as smiles all day long and flag bearing. The girls need to be at the track glitzed and glammed by 7am every morning often performing 12 hour shifts (in very high heeled shoes),' Mrs Blewett said.
On top of Mrs Blewett and all Clipsal grid girls competing against hundreds of others for the role, she said the role itself is far more demanding than people realise.
'It’s not as simple as smiles all day long and flag bearing. The girls need to be at the track glitzed and glammed by 7am every morning often performing 12 hour shifts (in very high heeled shoes),' Mrs Blewett said.
'That is external to the media, photographic shoots, interviews, parades, functions and launches they might also be involved in. Aching, bandaged, blistered and sometimes even bleeding feet are a very real reality of a days work on the circuit.'
Times are changing: Mrs Blewett explained that grid girl outfits have been modified several times over the past few years to be more 'tasteful' yet added that at the end of the day, the motorsport industry 'has always had women sexualising its brand'
It is what it is: 'It's an undeniable truth,' Mrs Blewett said, 'Sex sells'
Lighten up: 'Shouldn’t we focus our energies on more pressing social and political issues rather than worry as to whether a pretty girl adorning a racing car is going to corrupt a whole generation of girls?'
Mrs Blewett explained that grid girl outfits have been modified several times over the past few years to be more 'tasteful' yet added that at the end of the day, the motorsport industry 'has always had women sexualising its brand.'
'It's an undeniable truth,' she said, 'Sex sells.'
The young mother-of-one used the examples of Formula 1 racing and the NFL where this is the case and questioned why the world has become 'so serious'.
'Our modern day life is so heavily entrenched in political correctness that we are in danger of losing our sense of humour and our perspective on life,' she said.
Times have changed: My grid girl days are six years gone. I am married with a beautiful baby boy and another baby on the way,' she said
Not a big deal: 'It really is simple. Being a grid girl is a bit of light hearted fun for an incredibly short period of time. GET OVER IT,' she said
'Shouldn’t we focus our energies on more pressing social and political issues rather than worry as to whether a pretty girl adorning a racing car is going to corrupt a whole generation of girls.'
Mrs Blewett concluded her post by saying her personal experience as a grid girl was 'an absolute blast.'
'Unfortunately, haters are gonna hate and trollers are gonna troll, but that’s ok. We are all entitled to our own opinion. My grid girl days are six years gone. I am married with a beautiful baby boy and another baby on the way,' she said.
'It really is simple. Being a grid girl is a bit of light hearted fun for an incredibly short period of time. GET OVER IT.'
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