Seven-year-old Emirati kart racer Rashid Al Dhaheri is one of the rising stars of motorsport in the UAE, having already amassed an impressive list of achievements at home and abroad.
He took the honours in three consecutive Dubai O-Plate Championships in the Bambino class and finished runner-up at the 2015 Parolin Academy Championship in Italy. Most recently, he won the prestigious Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award in the Local Young Athlete category.
His racing schedule, which requires him to spend several weekends in Italy during the European karting season, means that he misses the occasional day of school, but his parents have a programme in place for him to catch up with his homework when abroad. They also set daily reading targets that he carries over to the following day if racing commitments get in the way.
“The majority of books I read are in English and online,” says Rashid. “This way I can take my books anywhere I go, to the race tracks and on planes.”
Rashid and his parents are particularly focused on required reading for school.
“For me, completing a book consists of three parts: reading, sometimes listening to recordings and answering questions about the book,” he says. “Reading helps with my racing as well – the better my reading, the smarter I get and the faster I can understand my coach’s explanations, kart set-ups and racing strategies.”
Formula 1 Cars by Denny Von Finn
“F1, karting and motorsports books are my passion and I can never get enough of this topic. I like to read anything related to -motorsports and my favourite drivers, such as Fernando Alonso, even if the books are for grown-ups.”
How Things Work Encyclopedia by DK Publishing
“Science books are some of my favourites. I am very curious to understand things and always have lots of questions. I want to know how my kart engine works, and at school I love science projects and experiments.”
Scooby-Doo: The Race Car Monster by Gail Herman
“I like the cartoon drawings in this book, which make reading more enjoyable. I like all Scooby-Doo books – I enjoy the crime stories and there is always a happy ending.”
Goosebumps by R L Stine
“I always enjoy reading about thrilling and scary moments. These books remind me of Halloween, which is one of my favourite times of the year.”
Any book about sports
“I try to read as much as possible about other sports. It is always a big part of my life, and I enjoy reading about successful sportsmen.”
