Back in early September, Olivia Hammac, of Cape Canaveral, Florida, earned her first win at the 2019 Tire Rack Solo Nationals in the Formula Junior B kart class. Last week, Hammac achieved another “first” when she was named by Sports Illustrated Kids as a finalist for the SportsKid of the Year award.

In the SI Kids article revealing the finalists, writer Elizabeth McGarr McCue states, “There’s something about driving a go-kart 60 miles per hour down a road course that just makes 12-year-old Olivia happy. At 10, while driving with the Sports Car Club of America, she earned the Hawaii SCCA Most Improved Driver award. Her dad, Bill, is her mechanic, and since moving to Florida, she has continued to get better.”

Hammac is one of only five finalists in the hunt this year for the award, and the only entry from the world of motorsport. Other talented youths in the running include a wrestler, track & field participant, baseball standout, and soccer player.

Nominees are selected based upon their accomplishments on the field or track, in the classroom and in the community. The winner will be announced a week before Thanksgiving. The SportsKid of the Year winner will be featured on the cover of December’s SI Kids magazine. She or he will also receive a trophy presented during the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year ceremony.

Check out the full SI Kids story here, and congratulations to Olivia for all she has accomplished so far and all she’ll certainly accomplish in the future!

Photo: Olivia Hammac, 2019 Tire Rack Solo Nationals Formula Junior B winner
Credit: Rupert Berrington