How Danica Patrick Is Inspiring Women To Dream Big

Danica Patrick’s winery, Somnium, which means dream in Latin, is just another aspect of her blessed life. From the moment she emerged as a household name when she became the first woman to hold the lead in the Indianapolis 500 in 2005, she has been a person to be admired.

Combining her love of cars and wine, Patrick was recently photographed posing with a glass of red while sitting behind the wheel of a charming Ford tractor. As a woman known for pacing at 200 miles an hour, taking time to recharge is a necessity to maintain her speed. According to her posts, standing atop the hill on her property, looking over the peaks and valleys dotted with vineyards is where she comes back to center.

Staying in tune with herself has been a long standing focus of the racer. Recognized for her dedication to yoga, she shared a photo in which she is holding a handstand after three wine tastings. Patrick credits yoga for keeping her calm in high stress situations and helping her body flex through the tension of car crashes.

The pressure of being one of the few women in such an intense sport and struggling to win while behind the wheel has not helped her response to her fans. While many have criticized Patrick for her cold behavior, it’s with her younger fans that the warmer side of her personality is most often experienced.

While she stands out in a sport monopolized by men, many don’t realize that Patrick is intensely domestic. As much as racing has dominated her life from a young age, it also gave her room to develop her passion for cooking. Investing in her winery and experimenting with food has been a long realized desire for the star.

Notorious for her ability to hold her own on the racetrack, she recently came in 17th at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 on Sunday. This was after a hard race, as well as crashing into her boyfriend, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., when Kyle Larson and Dale Earnhardt Jr forced three wide around a turn.

The feisty racer is still the highest ranking woman in her sport. Whether she is toughing it out behind the wheel, sipping wine under the shade of an oak tree, or holding a handstand in front of an open door, she is inspiring women everywhere to live without limits. She challenges the status quo and sinks deep into her passions.

[Featured Image by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images]