In this episode of our Mind On The Game series, we checked in with Alex Kihurani.
Alex is a co-driver in the World Rally Championships (WRC) who currently competes in a Citroen car for the Sainteloc team and has been competing for 20 seasons.
Alex started competing as a co-driver when he was just 16 years old and debuted in the WRC when he was 25 years old.
Alex combines his job as a co-driver with a role in finance and data analytics.
In this episode we discuss his journey into motorsport, from being inspired by his dad who was originally from Kenya and then moved to America, to Alex’s move to the UK 10 years ago.
We discuss the adrenaline rush of the races themselves, what impact Colin McRae had on commercialising the sport and bringing it into the mainstream and the psychological profile of co-drivers including Alex and the type of person it attracts.
For Alex’s mental health, we discuss his parents difficult divorce, his diagnosis of Crohn’s disease and how he developed resilience and antifragility after the divorce.
Alex was also diagnosed with leukaemia in 2015 and we discuss that treatment process and how he was able to thankfully live a fully and happy life after his diagnosis.
We finish by discussing the birth of his daughter who was born 13 weeks premature, fatherhood and three periods of grief that Alex experienced from the motorsport world: His mentor in a motorcycle crash, his best friend from university who took his own life and one of his childhood heroes and drivers he worked with Dave Mirra.
As always, #itsokaytovent
You can follow Alex on social media below:
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