Sofía Calderón: The 12-Year-Old Racer Redefining Courage in Costa Rica
- Ari Arguedas
- Dec 9, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 9, 2025
There are stories that entertain us, and there are stories that stay. Meeting thirteen-year-old karting phenomenon Sofía Calderón is one of those stories — a reminder of the fearlessness we once carried and the dreams we dared to speak out loud.
Where She Belongs
From the moment Sofía steps onto a racetrack, something settles around her. Most children might shrink under the noise and pressure, but Sofía moves as if she were born into it.
“The racetrack is a space I love,” she told The Motorsport Girlies. “It’s where I feel comfortable… where I get to hear the engines and see so many incredible drivers.”
Her connection to racing isn’t aspiration — it’s home.
A Rising Star With a Championship to Prove It
In December 2025, Sofía captured the national Mini Rok (U-13) championship, closing the season with 145.5 points after winning the final two races. It was a reminder that her talent isn’t future tense — it’s already happening. She is not just a promising young driver. She is a winning one.
Representation Arrives at the Perfect Moment
On December 3rd, during the lead-up to Las Tres Horas de Costa Rica, Colombian driver Tatiana Calderón—the only woman set to compete in the race—led a Girls on Track session for young Costa Rican drivers. For Sofía, meeting her wasn’t simply motivating. It was affirming.
“Tatiana is one of my favorite drivers,” she said. “With her trajectory, what she has achieved with her family… she does everything so well.”
Seeing a woman break barriers in the same environment where Sofía is growing helped expand the horizon of what she believes is possible.
A Mindset Beyond Her Years
Ask a child about winning and you hear enthusiasm. Ask about losing and you hear disappointment. Ask Sofía, and you hear maturity.
“Winning is amazing,” she said, “but things always go wrong at some point — a race, a mechanical failure. You never know. You have to learn from mistakes, or you never really learn anything.”
She carries both confidence and humility — uncommon qualities in someone her age, yet profoundly natural in her.
Her message to the next generation reflects the same clarity:
“Follow your dreams. The path isn’t easy. You need discipline. You need to train. The road is tough, but from sacrifice, you gain so much.”
The Circle Around Her: A Family That Shows Up
Behind Sofía’s discipline is a family that supports without pushing and commits without overwhelming. From arranging the interview to watching them in action at the track, it’s clear: she is lifted, not pressured.
Karting in Latin America demands financial and emotional endurance. Sofía understands this reality with a grounded awareness.
“In motorsport, the financial side is fundamental,” she explained. “It’s something extremely difficult.”
Her maturity is shaped not by expectation, but by witnessing the sacrifices made so she can chase her dream with intention.
The Hot Lap, the Future, and the Story We Need
Then came the moment that revealed more than words could — the hot lap.
I sat inside an electric safety car while a twelve-year-old girl, calm and steady, guided us around a professional circuit at speed. She wasn’t performing. She was simply doing what she loves.
In those minutes, it became clear: Sofía isn’t waiting for a future she hopes will come. She is already living it.
When imagining a conversation with her future self, she wondered not about trophies but about the journey.
“I’d ask her how hard it was… how difficult the path was. It would be incredible to see the Sofía who already made it… to think that a seven-year-old girl who dreamed of this is now achieving it.”
Sofía Calderón is only twelve, yet she is proof that dreams don’t wait for adulthood. Her story reminds us that resilience can take root early, that courage can be quiet, and that the future shifts every time a girl steps into her power and races toward a horizon only she can see.
To keep up with Sofía’s competitions, victories, and growth, follow her on Instagram: @soficalderon17
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