Claire Jedrek: A Vrooming Life

Singapore’s only female race car maven’s life on the fast lane zips from zero to 100 km per hour on any given day, and she doesn’t have any sign of stopping. 

Claire Jedrek shifts gears depending on the demands of her roles: mother, entrepreneur, TV presenter, event host, brand ambassador, sports maverick, social media influencer and charity fund-raiser.

Claire is one celebrity icon not to miss on Instagram. Unfiltered and without reservation, she articulates things as they are – from endearing stories with her family, humorous personal confessions about motherhood and her edgy selfies to crazy workouts, goofy escapades with friends and motorbike road trips around Singapore. I am one of her 28.4k followers on Instagram, and what strikes me most in her power-packed life is the fact that this pretty petite woman finds time to raise funds for charities fuelled by her passion for motorsports.

In the last two years, Claire has been traversing a 200-km stretch to help raise funds. The first charity ride she organised was during the height of the pandemic in December 2020, where she was able to raise S$3,521 for the Franciscan Family Apostolate (FFA). The FFA is a non-profit organisation serving the poor and underprivileged by delivering medical supplies, providing meals and educational support in South India.

Claire Jedrek in between trails

Claire Jedrek on Ted Talks on September 10, 2019

Claire Jedrek with husband Yuey Tan

“As a mum of two young children, I cannot imagine the pain some of these families are going through when childhood is meant to be a time of joy,” says Claire, who was born in London to a Singaporean mother and English father.

Her father, Robert Jedrek, inspired Claire’s advocacy: “My father worked in India for almost 15 years, and he saw the plight and trauma of these women. There he encountered so many underprivileged children and women who had lost their husbands to illness and accidents; these families were abandoned and were living without support. The devastation from the pandemic wiped out funds for so many charities, including the Franciscan Family Apostolate, our chosen charity. US$50 [donation] can go a long way in helping one family for one month.”

Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore, and Claire Jedrek in the YMCA Special Needs Inclusive Cycling Challenge on July 2021

Moreover, Claire also completed a 125km Zwift virtual ride with scenic animations of Mount Fuji at the YMCA Special Needs Inclusive Cycling Challenge in July 2021, which sought to raise funds and awareness for Singapore’s youth with special needs.

Claire did 125km in 1.5 hours with team members including the Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin, YMCA CEO Steven Loh, YMCA Special Needs Ambassador with Global Development Delay Siau Ek Jin, and YMCA Special Needs Ambassador with Down Syndrome Ryan Yap.

“What amazing teammates they were. Watching the video climbing Mount Fuji reminds me that the heart and will to succeed is greater than anything,” enthuses Claire, who grew up taking part in extreme sports competition as a teenager.

Working in extreme sports in 2007, Claire was given a chance to work with Red Bull, who sent her to São Paulo for the F1 end of season race. It was the first proper race she attended at a historic circuit.

Claire has since claimed two podium finishes for two different races in 2018 and 2019. She was the only woman in the Malaysian Super Series (where she took second spot).

Married to professional race car driver Yuey Tan, the former host shares her personal insights on what the pandemic has taught her.

“One, family is important. Hug your babies, loved ones, friends. Keep in touch and go to bed without anger. Things change overnight. Two, while you can’t change the world at once, you can make a difference in one person or one family at a time. Easing their burden can do wonders. We have one life and one breath. While making an impact is hard, we can do things on an individual level,” says Claire, who is also a health and fitness advocate.

Now in her late 30s, Claire has been living a vrooming life. Whether in the driver’s seat or in the passenger seat next to her husband, she has learned to compartmentalise her life, nimbly shifting gears from one role to the next.

Tisha | ws

Claire constantly posts her charity events on Instagram @ClaireJedrek. If you would like to donate to her cause, visit Donation Page of the Franciscan Family Apostolate.
Images: Claire Jedrek  |  YMCA Singapore