The fact that women can be successful in motocross should come as no surprise. But when a budding supermodel declares her passion for motocross, that's actually quite unusual. Taynara Joy Silva Wolf (19) was one of the five finalists in the TV show 'Germany's Next Top Model', having made it through from a field of 2,000 entrants. And there was a reason for that: Taynara, who is half Brazilian and half German, is not only a stunning beauty with curly blonde hair but also has a well-toned physique. She will be attending the next ADAC MX Masters weekend at Bielstein (2nd - 3rd July) where she will be joining championship leader Dennis Ullrich (22, KTM Sarholz Racing Team) for a demo practice session.
Since the age of four, Taynara has been dancing the samba, and as soon as she was old enough, she started out in motocross. "I get my fascination for the sport from my father Mark who used to compete in road racing and still partners my brother Raony in friendship races," explains the 19-year-old from Stadtlohn in North Rhine-Westphalia, who is currently studying Media Acting at the Medienakademie in Hamburg-Tonndorf. "We often went as a family to World Championship events in Holland or Belgium, so you could say that I've grown up with MX as a sport."
Taynara finds it amusing when people express their surprise at her enthusiasm for this extreme sport: "I am very proud to be a motocross rider and have to chuckle at people's reactions. The boys sometimes give me a funny look when I take off my helmet." The possibility of giving up MX to concentrate on her modelling career never crossed her mind; she describes herself as an out and out sports fanatic: "Motocross is actually quite beneficial to my modelling work, because it keeps me really fit. I need to make sure that I don't get too many scratches or bruises on my body, because they don't go down well when you're auditioning for a modelling job." When she was a contestant on the ProSieben casting show, she told presenter Heidi Klum all about her passion for motocross; the 42-year-old veteran of the modelling world was suitably impressed, describing it as "Cool!".
ADAC MX Masters Leader Dennis Ullrich also thinks it's pretty cool that a finalist from 'Germany's Next Top Model' takes an active interest in motorsports. "I was just very surprised when I heard that a fashion model was coming to the ADAC MX Masters at Bielstein," said the two-time ADAC MX Masters champion. "And especially when I discovered that she would be riding her own bike. But honestly, I think it's great. It just goes to show that our MX community is significantly broader than you might expect. I'm looking forward to meeting her at the event." The plan is for the championship leader and the model to put on a short demo practice session on the home straight. The two will open up the throttle on their machines on a hundred-metre stretch of the Bielstein woodland circuit on Sunday. Taynara will also make herself available for the half-hour autograph session next to the ADAC Truck on Sunday at 12 noon.
Taynara, who is the daughter of a samba dancer and an Air Berlin pilot, is very much looking forward to meeting up with the stars of the MX scene. "The motocross community is like one big family, and I always feel at home anywhere near a track," she says with a grin. "When I was little, I always idolised the big boys, and now I can get to know them personally. It's going to be a massive weekend at Bielstein." Just like most other Masters riders, she loves the adrenaline rush. In particular, she enjoys the jumps and the cornering. "I'm actually an adrenaline junkie, I can barely get enough of it. The action side of me has clearly been inherited from my dad."
Since competing in GNTM, Taynara has been contacted by several prestigious fashion companies. At the moment, however, the 19-year-old has limited opportunities for riding her bike, as modelling is keeping her very busy. "Participating in the talent show has opened many doors for me, so now I don't have to start from the bottom. I'm doing quite well, really. But I am very glad that I can vary my routine with a bit of samba and motocross so that I never get bored." She also reveals that she would ultimately like to go into acting.