“I always wanted to be a fighter pilot when I was a kid,” Charlie says, “and that seemed to just morph into racing and motorsports. But not coming from a family or people doing that, I had to find my own organic way in. It’s not easy – let’s be honest. You need a lot of money and on tap – maybe from rich parents, and I’ve never had that at all.”

Are there any tips for someone considering a career in motorsport?

“For me,” says Charlie, “it started racing on my console. On my PlayStation and my Xbox. In many ways it’s gone full circle now – people going from SIM racing into real-world racing. People like Jimmy Broadbent [English racing driver], who I raced with last year – there are people around the world now who are proving that’s a pathway. My advice would be, get yourself a SIM, get racing online, and if you’re passionate about motorsport, it’s just great to go to races and have a wander round the paddock and stick your head into garages – you never know who you might meet.”

Charlie was recently named one of our Outstanding Alumni. That must have been a great feeling?

“I was blown away when I got the email. I’m very proud because I’ve not had many things like this in life really where the hard work you’ve put in gets recognised in such a significant way. I think back to where I was at and what I was doing at university, and I never ever dreamt my life would look the way it does now.”

Charlie has an ambition to make LGBTQ+ history by competing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Having overcome huge adversity since transitioning mid-way through her career, she works with leading LGBTQ+ charities Stonewall, Mermaids, and Athlete Ally to improve visibility, acceptance, and inclusion in motorsport.