A FORMER Stanford-le-Hope schoolgirl has been short-listed for the Sunday Times' prestigious "Sportswomen of the Year Awards" 2020 for her efforts in the world of motorsport.

Emily Linscott, who attended St Clere's School until leaving last year, is currently still in America where she has spent the summer racing in the Lucas Oil School of Racing Formula Car Series.

She finished seventh overall after ending the season in Florida.

Emily has been shortlisted in the "Young Inspiration Award" category for defying the odds and pursuing her racing career without any support system in the US, doing it all in the middle of a global pandemic and performing to an extremely high standard under such difficult circumstances.

She said: "I'm very proud to have been shortlisted for this award, I'm blown away by it actually. I hadn't regarded what I'd done as inspirational, but I guess it is, I understand it now it's been explained to me a little more. I'm very honoured."

residents can now help Emily towards the award by voting for her via the website where you will get the chance to vote for each of the three categories that are chosen by the public. Emily is on the second of the three voting pages.