To celebrate International Female Riders Day, Polaris Off-Road found a perfect example of a woman kicking butt in motorsports. Enter Fernanda Montiel. Their “Tough Doesn’t Quit” video series features this rising off-road star, who already made history as the first Hispanic woman to win a Baja Championship. Surprisingly, she’s only 25 years old.

Recently, Montiel is making waves in off-road racing, a sport where women compete and men usually grab the headlines. Her story, featured by Polaris, shows pure grit.

It all started when she was young – age three, hanging out in her dad’s garage, where she caught the racing bug. From the start, she and her family worked hard just to keep the dream alive, hustling for sponsors and building her career from scratch through relentless effort.

Now a first-generation factory rider for Polaris Racing Mexico, Montiel continues that drive. She teams up with her brother, who serves as her co-pilot, dedicating every spare moment to getting faster and chasing wins.

Polaris noted her success proved “strength doesn’t have to look a certain way” – skill and determination are what truly count behind the wheel. Her journey vividly shows that, in her own words, reflected by the feature, “femininity and ferocity can ride side by side” in the rough and tumble world of off-road competition.

The “Tough Doesn’t Quit” series focuses on people overcoming challenges, making Montiel’s story, released just in time for International Female Riders Day, a powerful fit. She embodies the resilience the day aims to honor, challenging assumptions and proving that legacies in racing aren’t just handed down – they’re built with passion, hard work, and the courage to push limits.

Fernanda Montiel’s story is the kind that gets you fired up. She’s out there building her own legacy in the demanding Baja deserts and beyond, showing what happens when passion meets relentless hard work regardless of gender. She serves as a strong inspiration, not just for women in motorsports but for anyone chasing tough goals in the dirt or anywhere else.