Young Tara going to world karting series

What are 12-year-old girls up to these days?

The latest fashion, perhaps. A new gadget. Giggling over a Korean pop star.

Pre-adolescence stuff, however, is the least of Tara Victoria Garcia Laconico’s concerns.

Laconico would rather concentrate on training as she is bound for Venice, Italy after qualifying for the Sodi World Series of karting on June 14 to 16.

Laconico placed second in the qualifying race and 25th out of 1,203 drivers who vied for spots in the spectacle reserved for karters 15 years old below.

“I work hard with a goal in mind to place as high as I can in each race,” said the sixth grader at Temple Hill International School.

Racing runs through Laconico’s veins. Her father, Dominique, used to race and introduced her to karting when she was nine. She placed fourth in her first race in the 2016 Petron Karting Super Series.

Laconico’s training includes climbing 41 flights of stairs thrice a week to build up stamina. In between practices, she goes to the gym where she does boxing and works out everyday during race season.

Tara believes gender should not be an issue in sports.

“As long as the rules are fair for everyone, under our helmets, we are all the same,” Laconico said. “All we are doing really is beat our own time. There is no excuse for girls not to beat the boys.”