(click “NEWS” tab to see all)

(click “G! VIDS” tab to see all)

(click “YT VIDS” tab to see all)

Janika Judeika is a Latvian sports administrator who has spent roughly two decades building the architecture for women’s participation in motorcycle racing — starting from a flag marshal’s post at a Latvian track and working her way to the directorship of the FIM Women’s Commission.

EARLY YEARS

Born in Latvia into a family of educators, Judeika came to motorsport through the side gate rather than the front [1]. A school friend raced motocross, and Janika travelled with her to events in Latvia and elsewhere in Europe, absorbing the sport from the spectator’s side [2]. The moment that crystallised her ambition came in 2006, when she attended the Women’s World Cup in Bulgaria — not as a competitor, but as someone watching and deciding [2]. She came home and went straight to work: volunteering at her friend’s family track, first as a flag marshal, then as a race secretary [2].

She was studying at the RSU Latvian Academy of Sports Pedagogy in Riga at the time, which gave her more than one route into the paddock [1] [2]. As she put it: “While studying at sports university, I had the chance to attend an MX World Cup round where my friend was competing, and I fell in love with the paddock. I just knew I wanted to be part of it.” [1] She later completed an international master’s degree in international sports organisations and administration through an IOC-accredited programme [1] [2].

Alongside her motorsport volunteering, Judeika was a competitive athlete in her own right. She raced bobsleigh during the 2007–09 seasons and also competed in skeleton [2] [1]. Her sights had been set on the Olympics, but a 2008 crash at the World Cup in Cortina d’Ampezzo ended that chapter — a broken vertebra closed the door on that particular ambition [2]. She also met her husband during this period, a former motocross racer himself, and when she became pregnant, the logistics looked complicated. “I immediately questioned how I would manage things; I had no idea. Fortunately, my husband was super supportive, and my mum too.” [1]

OTHER INTERESTS

Judeika trains in beach volleyball twice a week [2]. She obtained her motorcycle licence in 2025 and rides for leisure [2]. Outside of sport, she has described spending time with family, taking small trips, and planning holidays as personal priorities [2].

Her professional life spans several organisations simultaneously. In addition to directing the FIM Women’s Commission, she serves as Secretary General of the Latvian Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation and chairs the Ethics Commission of the Latvian Olympic Committee [2].

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• Approx. 2007–present: Approximately 18 years of involvement in motorsport administration, beginning as a flag marshal and race secretary in Latvia and progressing to international roles including Clerk of the Course at FIM events [1] [2].
• Ongoing: Played a role in the creation of the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship (WorldWCR) [1].
• 2026: Identified by the FIM as Director of the FIM Women’s Commission [3].

INSPIRATIONS

The through-line in Judeika’s story is a school friend — the person who first drew her to a motocross track and whose participation prompted the 2006 trip to Bulgaria that changed her direction [2] [1]. She has also cited the final WorldWCR race of the 2024 season as a memorable moment [2] [1]. The work itself, and what it represents, appears to be its own motivation: she has spoken repeatedly about the need to demonstrate expertise in order to be taken seriously in a commission of roughly 30 members that included only two women when she joined it [1].

Her advice to women considering motorsport roles is direct: don’t be afraid to take the first step, ask for advice, and use your voice [1] [2].

REPUTATION

WorldSBK featured Judeika in its “Women Shifting Gears” series, framing her as an advocate for women’s participation and representation in motorcycle racing and governance [1]. Her credibility was not handed to her. Working within the FIM Motocross Commission, she recalled that her assessments during track inspections were sometimes second-guessed — a dynamic she addressed by demonstrating her knowledge rather than escalating it [1]. That approach, over nearly two decades, has taken her from volunteer flag marshal to one of the more consequential administrative roles in international motorcycling.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

As of 2025, Judeika said she wanted to lead the Women’s Commission’s work through 2030 and, if supported in the next election, would be honoured to continue for another four-year term beyond that [2]. Her stated aims include increasing women’s participation across motorcycling and encouraging more women into leadership and decision-making positions [2]. The long-term goal she has described is, in its own way, a measure of success: she wants the FIM Women’s Commission to eventually make itself unnecessary — inclusion absorbed into the mainstream commissions rather than housed separately [1].

References:

[1] WorldSBK, WOMEN SHIFTING GEARS: Janika Judeika
[2] Is It Fast? – Janika Judeika Interview
[3] FIM – Together: Opening the Doors of the MotoGP Paddock