Making an impact beyond the workshop

At Hedzup, we want young people to do more than simply watch motorcycle sport — we want to give them opportunities to learn, participate, take responsibility and become part of the community around it.

Josh, Ruby and Mia doing the team proud.

Ahead of the 2026 Manx Grand Prix, a group from Hedzup completed their marshal training course before putting that training into practice by joining the marshal teams around the course during the event.

For some, this was a completely new experience. They weren't there as spectators. They had undertaken the training, joined experienced marshals and became part of the team helping to make road racing happen safely.

Two of the Hedzup group, Ruby and Mia, were marshalling at Keppel, where members of the AirMed helicopter medical team were based on 24 and 25 August.

Following the event, one of the AirMed paramedics contacted the marshal team to thank them for the welcome they had received and for the work they do. They also made a special mention of Ruby and Mia:

“I would particularly like to mention young Ruby and Mia. What wonderfully beautiful human beings those two young ladies are.They were the life and soul, with so much enthusiasm and dedication to the marshal role. I was fascinated to hear a bit about their story and how they came to be a part of the marshal team. Their love and enthusiasm for what they do was so clearly obvious when their faces lit up and were so enthusiastic when answering all my questions about what they do.”

The message also captured some of the friendships and memories that are created around road racing — from Ruby and Mia teaching the AirMed crew how to wave the flags, to their handshakes and heart signals as the helicopter lifted at the end of the day.

And there was a particularly memorable message for Mia:

“Thank you for signing my high-vis. I am the first person to have the autograph of the future fastest female TT rider.”

It's more than marshalling

For Hedzup, what makes this particularly special isn't simply that our young people attended the Manx Grand Prix. They earned their place there.

They completed their training, stepped into a responsible role alongside experienced marshals and became contributing members of the road-racing community.

Ruby and Mia happened to receive a wonderful individual acknowledgement from someone who saw their enthusiasm first-hand, but they were part of a wider Hedzup group who made that same journey from training to participation.

That's exactly the kind of progression Hedzup exists to create: using motorcycles as the starting point for developing confidence, responsibility, practical skills, teamwork and a sense of belonging.

Inspiring and Empowering – Youth Development Through Motorcycles.

---

---