Journalism Next | Out-of-Door Academy: Impressive sophomore takes to racing

MANATEE -- Last summer, Out-of-Door Academy sophomore Sasha Brun was interviewed for a TV show titled "Kart Life" on cable station Tru TV, which profiled young go-kart racers.

Brun drew interest because of her impressive performances and because she is one of the only girls racing.

She got the part. Brun's experience and first-class racing abilities, her day-to-day life and sassy personality are profiled on the show.

Brun has shown great skill and passion for the sport. Brun's time on the track started when she was 7.

"My dad came home with a medal from a local kart track, and I wanted a medal. So I asked to start, and we did," Brun said.

Brun's drive for success shows in her track style and personality.

"She's wild and fierce. She could take on any guy at the race track due to her aggressive attitude and passion to win," said fellow student and friend, sophomore Emma Young.

Young appeared on the show with Brun over the summer where they discussed high school life in Sarasota.

"Being on the show was surreal. When they filmed us at the beach, we had a massive crowd of people around us, just dumbfounded by all the cameras. It was a great experience but also scary because everyone is watching and listening to your every word," said Young.

Brun balances two lives: one at school and one at the track where she is respected and well-known as one of the most experienced drivers.

Olivier Bellanger, a fellow sophomore and skilled racer, has been racing with Brun for a long time.

"Even though Sasha is an uncommon case of a female racer, I treat her with the same respect as everyone else on the race track," said Bellanger.

Brun's experience in racing has taken her all over the country. She has traveled as far west as Las Vegas, north to Wisconsin and northeast to the Carolinas, up to Pennsylvania and Indiana.

The sport has taught her about independence and travel, she said.

"It's pretty cool. I mean, it's allowed me to see different places and, after awhile, you become used to traveling so, like, you learn how to smart pack and how to live in a hotel room," said Brun.

Brun is unsure what her future in racing holds but said she is happy about what it has exposed her to so far and looks forward to seeing where it takes her.

"It's very hard to race professionally in any form of racing, so I'm gonna keep pursuing it and see where it goes," she said.

Catch Brun on "Kart Life" on Tru TV at 10 p.m. every Wednesday.

This story was originally published April 27, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Journalism Next | Out-of-Door Academy: Impressive sophomore takes to racing."