Cynthia Gauthier

Cynthia Gauthier is a Canadian monster truck driver from Mirabel, Québec, who transformed from farm kid to professional motocross racer to one of Monster Jam’s most fearless competitors—and she did it all on her own dime and determination.

EARLY YEARS

Born June 25, 1988, in Mirabel, Québec, Canada, Gauthier grew up working on a farm, where her first taste of anything engine-powered came in the form of a tractor[1]. Her father worked as a mechanic, and his love of racing meant cars and bikes were constant fixtures in her childhood—surrounded by the smells and sounds of revving engines[2]. But here’s the kicker: no one in her family raced. She was entirely self-made. At 18, after years of saving every dollar, she finally had enough money to buy her first dirt bike and enter her first motocross race[3]. She studied to become a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) at university, but after graduation, she made a gutsy call—she moved to the United States to chase her dream of racing professionally[4].

OTHER INTERESTS

Cynthia Gauthier doesn’t sit still. Between monster truck competitions, she swaps her 10,000-pound beast for snowmobiles, boats, and quads[5]. In 2020, she snowmobiled through Hearst, Ontario, exploring the trails of Northeastern Ontario and forming a real-world friendship with the late Jessi Combs, the world’s fastest woman, who died in August 2019[6]. She’s also visited Cochrane and Temiskaming Shores, diving deep into the powersports community and bonding with locals over adrenaline-fueled adventures[7]. When she’s home in Québec, you’ll find her in her shop—Pin Metal Up, her custom metal fabrication business—building, fixing, and welding[8]. She even competed in CrossFit, ranking 31,966th worldwide among women in 2019, because apparently monster trucks aren’t enough of a workout[9]. And yes, she swears by CrossFit to keep her body ready for the bone-rattling chaos of freestyle competitions[10].

EARLY SUCCESS

Gauthier competed in provincial and national motocross competitions around Toronto and Ottawa, honing her skills in a sport that doesn’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for women[11]. She joined Monster Jam in 2015, driving Monster Energy—her entry into a world dominated by men and massive machines[12]. By 2016, just a year into her Monster Jam career, she won the Arena Donut competition, proving she wasn’t just there to participate—she was there to win[13]. Her rise was so rapid and so impressive that in 2018, she earned the Monster Jam Rising Star of the Year award, a nod to her exceptional skills and relentless drive[14]. She didn’t ease into this sport. She bulldozed her way in.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2015: Began competing in Monster Jam driving Monster Energy[15].
• 2016: Won Monster Jam Arena Donut competition[16].
• 2018: Named Monster Jam Rising Star of the Year[17].
• 2019: Competed in the Stadium Championship, earning three freestyle wins; became Monster Jam’s first-ever High Jump Champion, leaping 45.472 feet (13.859 meters) into the air and became the second female to win a World title and the second Canadian to do so[18].
• 2023: Competed at World Finals XXII High Jump[19].
• 2024: Took maternity leave; her baby was born in March. Returned to Monster Jam in East Rutherford in June[20].
• 2024: Drove Thor on the Australian Tour in October, completing the first backflip in Australia in Melbourne while driving Monster Mutt Dalmatian[21].

INSPIRATIONS

Gauthier’s father—a mechanic with a passion for racing—planted the seed, even if he never raced himself[22]. The late Jessi Combs, an adrenaline enthusiast and the world’s fastest woman, became a friend and kindred spirit during their snowmobiling adventures in Ontario before Combs’ tragic death in 2019[23]. But Gauthier’s biggest inspiration? Herself. She saved her own money, taught herself to race, and carved her own path into a sport that didn’t hand her anything.

REPUTATION

Gauthier has been called “one of the best drivers on tour and maybe one of the most fearless”[24]. She’s earned that reputation by throwing her truck into the air with reckless precision, pulling off backflips in countries where they’d never been done, and making it look like second nature. She’s Canada’s first female Monster Jam driver[25], and she carries that title with pride, hoping to serve as an inspiration for girls and women in male-dominated sports[26]. Her social media following—217.1K on Instagram with a 9.3% engagement rate—shows that people aren’t just watching her drive; they’re invested in her journey[27]. She’s known for being hands-on, working in her own fabrication shop, and not just driving trucks but understanding every bolt and weld that holds them together.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

In 2026, she’s set to compete on the Stadium Tour East and has been invited to compete at World Finals 24[28]. After becoming a mom in 2024, she’s already lined up a replacement driver and made her return to the stadium—because apparently, maternity leave is just a pit stop for Cynthia Gauthier[29]. She’s continuing to push the limits of what’s possible in Monster Jam, all while running her welding business and proving that you don’t have to choose between being a badass and being a mom.

REFERENCES

Cynthia Gauthier: World Champion Monster Truck Jam – Caliper Covers
Cynthia Gauthier: Living in the Fast Lane – YouTube
Exclusive Interview with Monster Jam Driver Cynthia Gauthier – Macaroni KID
OWL Interview: Monster Jam Driver Cynthia Gauthier – OWL Connected
La pilote de Monster Truck Cynthia Gauthier en motoneige à Hearst – Nord de l’Ontario
Jessi Combs and Cynthia Gauthier Discover Ontario by Snowmobile – Northern Ontario Travel
Quebecois Monster Truck Driver Cynthia Gauthier Snowmobiles in Hearst – Northern Ontario Travel
Cynthia Gauthier – YouTube Channel
Cynthia Gauthier – Athlete – CrossFit Games
The Move I Love to Hate: Monster Jam Driver Cynthia Gauthier’s CrossFit-Based Workout – ESPN
Cynthia Gauthier – Monster Trucks Wiki
Monster Truck Driver Cynthia Gauthier Dominates the Stadium – Strong Fitness Magazine
Cynthia Gauthier – Lucas Oil Monster Jam Truck – HornBlasters
Cynthia Gauthier, Monster Jam Driver – Engine Builder Magazine
Cynthia Gauthier Monster Jam Highlights – YouTube
Cynthia Gauthier: Monster Jam’s Newest Mom – YouTube
Monster Mutt Dalmatian – Monster Trucks Wiki
Pin Metal Up – How a Torchmate Table Expanded Her Possibilities – Torchmate
Cynthia Gauthier is Canada’s First Female Monster Jam Driver – Global News
Monster Jam Driver Cynthia Gauthier Represents Women in Sports – YouTube
Cynthia Gauthier – Instagram Influencer – Social Veins