ESPN’s release of Motorcycle Mary Thursday comes with sadder context than initially hoped for. That 30 for 30 short, directed by Haley Watson, produced by Rachel Greenwald, and executive produced by F1 star Lewis Hamilton and Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot, covers the historic and trailblazing racing career of Mary McGee. But, unfortunately, McGee (the first woman to road race motorcycles in the U.S., and the first person to solo the famed Baja 500) passed away at 87 Wednesday, a day before the 22-minute film saw wide release on ESPN’s YouTube channel. (It can be seen in full below.)
Hamilton had a notable Instagram post Thursday paying tribute to McGee:
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The film, widely viewed as an Oscar contender, held its world premiere at Tribeca in New York this June. And it had received other screenings before this as well. Indeed, ESPN senior writer Alyssa Roenigk penned a remarkable ESPN.com piece Thursday about attending a screening at the recent Babes in the Dirt dirt-bike campout, not far from the Baja 500 course (which McGee soloed in 1975 at 38). That piece included some notable comments from women in attendance, including campout organizer Ashmore Ellis, on what the film meant to them:
“Nothing could stop her,” Ellis says. “The way she speaks about riding, her passion, Mary’s one of us. She didn’t just talk about it. She did it and she did it her way, without reservation and through adversity, through people telling her no and that she shouldn’t be there. That resonates with me.”
Ellis thinks about how many women McGee inspired to throw their legs over a motorcycle for the first time, just like a woman on Coast Highway did for her more than a decade ago — and just like she does for women today.
“I have no special powers. I’m not an athlete,” Ellis says. “But I care so deeply, and I know what riding has done for my life. How can I not do that for someone else, tell them, ‘I’ll be there. I’ll be your friend,’ especially knowing there are people out there who haven’t discovered this yet in themselves.”
It’s unfortunate that McGee passed away before this film’s wide release. But, as Roenigk notes, she did hear plenty of tributes from those she inspired, and referenced that near the end of the documentary. “Probably the thing I’m proudest about is that I had something to do with showing women that they can come out and race motorcycles.” And it’s cool that this documentary showing her remarkable life and impact is now widely available for free. Here’s more on it from the YouTube page:
In the 1950s, Mary McGee found her sense of freedom when she became the first American woman to race motorcycles. Mary’s pioneering journey of conquering sexism and her own fears paved the way for the next chapter in motorsports.
The untold story of legendary motorsports pioneer Mary McGee a.k.a. MOTORCYCLE MARY whose racing career spanned thirty years and saw Mary shatter gender norms while mastering multiple racing disciplines. Born in Alaska on the eve of World War II, McGee’s early life is riddled with fear but, with her older brother Jim’s guidance, she conquers her apprehensive nature and discovers the art of composure—a skill that serves her to take on the racetrack. Following in her brother’s footsteps, her remarkable racing odyssey begins in the world of cars, where she outshines her male competitors, only to later discover her greatest sense of freedom racing motorcycles. She was the first woman to race motorcycles in the United States. Confronted by sexism and personal tragedy, Mary perseveres, pushing herself to greater and greater heights—culminating in her most hair-raising challenge: Becoming the first person ever to solo the grueling Baja 500 on a motorcycle.
[ESPN on YouTube, ESPN.com, Deadline]
