Get in touch with us! What if you looked back a year from now and realised you were still waiting to start? In 2022, Sara sat in the grandstands at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix watching the world she desperately wanted to be part of. She dreamed of working in sports presenting but it felt impossible. She didn't know the right people. She couldn't see how she'd ever break into the industry and after losing her dad and spending years struggling with depression, she was a long way from the life she wanted. A year later, she returned to the same grandstand. And realised nothing had changed. That moment became a turning point. This isn't simply a story about determination. Sara also shares the challenges of navigating grief while working in Formula 1 and how those experiences have shaped the way she chooses to live today. Sara has reached a place where she can genuinely say: “I love my life. I love my problems.” In this episode: Losing yourself after grief and finding a way forwardThe Grand Prix moment that changed Sara's directionWhy a whole year passed before she took actionGoing from believing something was impossible to pursuing it relentlesslyWhy she didn't wait until January to beginThe small, consistent actions behind her career transformationBreaking into sports presenting without an established networkWorking at the circuit where her dream beganLosing her brother just before a major Formula 1 opportunityThe reality behind the smiles people see on screenWhy Sara now says, “I love my life. I love my problems”Redefining success as freedom rather than moneyWhy you don't need to feel ready to startSara's 60-Second Reignmaker Shift ──────────────────────── ✦ ──────────────────────── Connect with Sara: LinkedIn: https://www.instagram.com/saraessa?exln=aWJtdXA1ZG9ka2Js Website: https://www.saraessa.com/ Insta: @saraessa A dynamic multi-disciplinary presenter based between London and Dubai, Sara is known for her engaging presence, insightful interviews, and quick wit. Confident, unflappable, and fun on stage and on camera, she combines strong sports knowledge with a natural ability to connect with audiences and bring out the best in her interviewees across live, broadcast, and premium hospitality environments. Sara first stepped into presenting in 2021, building a large and engaged audience on Clubhouse through an interview series focused on Climate and Sustainability. This led to hosting live events for global brands including Volvo, Adidas, Farfetch, and the Eden Project. Alongside live hosting, she established herself as a voiceover artist and is regularly selected for radio and television advertising work. By 2024, Sara recognised that storytelling and the craft of asking great questions were at the core of her passion and began pursuing presenting full-time across sport. She started the year creating explainer content with athletes at SailGP and hosting webinars for Girls On Track UK. By mid-year, she was a stage host at the British Grand Prix, joined the BullPadel Show in France as a commentator, and was subsequently picked up by Premier Padel and Red Bull TV, where she also worked on the World Padel Championships and continues to work with Red Bull Media House today. With a strong passion and understanding of motorsport, Sara is quickly becoming a recognisable figure across the Middle East. Over the past year she has hosted driver interviews for F1 and F1 Academy in the Paddock Club, served as Premium Hospitality Host at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and SailGP , and worked as a broadcast presenter and pit lane reporter for the Radical World Finals, DSBK Superbikes, and Gulf ProCar at Yas Marina Circuit. Her wider experience spans sailing, golf, and emerging sports, including hosting and MC roles at E-Foil Dubai International, broadcast presenting for the UAE Golf Cup, and moderating major industry events such as the Bridge Summit, Global Games Summit, and the SIGA Women’s Dubai Summit. She has also hosted large-scale community sporting events including the Burj2Burj Half Marathon, Reebok Power Race as part of the Dubai Fitness Challenge, and CrossFit competitions. Sara comes from a lifelong sporting background, having played Netball, Hockey, Trampolining, and Horse Riding from a young age, alongside more recently competing in padel, where she reached No.1 in the L TA rankings before leaving the UK three years ago. She is also a keen golfer and sailor, having lived in New Zealand and completed an ocean crossing from New Caledonia in 2015. ──────────────────────── ✦ ──────────────────────── 🎙️ OVER TO YOU Tell us what's going on. We'll tell you what we see. Got something you've been going round in circles about? A decision you've talked yourself in and out of? A situation you're simply too close to see clearly? Tap “Get in touch with us!” above to send a written message or leave a voice message of up to 60 seconds. You can stay completely anonymous. If you send a voice message, let us know whether you're happy for us to play it on the podcast or would prefer us to share your situation anonymously. You don't need a beautifully worded question. Just tell us what's going on. ────────── ✦ ──────────────────────── 📥 Resources & Next Steps 💌 Join our newsletter She Reigns If you're a woman who knows she's made for more but keeps hesitating, overthinking or doubting herself, join our free weekly newsletter, She Reigns. Every week we share honest conversations, practical mindset shifts and reflections to help you trust yourself and take action. 🎧 Explore more episodes of How to Reign When it’s Raining 📲 Connect with us on Instagram: @reignwhenitsraining ⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please share it or leave a review - it helps more women like you find us!🎙️ OVER TO YOU Tell us what's going on. We'll tell you what we see. Got something you've been going round in circles about? A decision you've made 12 times and talked yourself out of 13? A situation you're simply too close to see clearly? Tap “Get in touch with us!” above 👆 to send us a written message or leave us a voice message of up to 60 seconds. You can stay completely anonymous. If you send a voice message, just let us know whether you're happy for us to play your voice on the podcast or whether you'd prefer us to share your situation anonymously. You don't need a beautifully worded question. Just tell us what's going on. ──────────────────────── ✦ ──────────────────────── Episode Time Stamps: 05:21 The F1 Spark08:25 Relentless10:45 Building a Career11:59 The War Experience15:25 Full Circle at Yas Marina23:10 Weight Loss Journey37:28 Rapid Fire40:27 Reignmaker Shift