Martin Sonka was notoriously car sick as a child. His stomach was doing summersaults for entirely different reasons though Saturday as he won his first-ever Red Bull Air Race.
The 38-year-old is a 10-year veteran Czech Air Force pilot back in his homeland, but flying at speeds of over 300kmp and mastering g-force were probably the last things he imagined he would be doing for a career when he was throwing up on the side of the road on school trips.
Sonka is appearing in his fifth Red Bull Air Race campaign, having left the military behind for the world of competitive aerobatics in 2010.
He had never managed a race win until Abu Dhabi, claiming his maiden podium place at Spielberg, Austria, in 2014.
He followed that up with consecutive second and third place finishes in Crotaia and Budapest in 2015 and gained another runners-up spot in Japan last season.
In the midst of the euphoria seeping out of him following his UAE triumph, Sonka thought back to upset stomach-laden childhood.
“I was car sick until I was 10 or 11,” recalled Sonka.
“From that moment I’ve been ok. I remember one trip with school when I was maybe five. We went by a bus and travelled a few hundred kilometres, and every 50km the bus driver had to stop because I had to throw up.
“I’ve never experienced being sick in the aeroplane thankfully and I can do anything now and it doesn’t matter.”
Just like he conquered his troublesome tummy, Sonka has set his sights on more podium top spots now he has finally got his first win behind him.
“It’s a beautiful feeling and it’s like a drug, I want it again and again, and as soon as possible,” said Sonka, who was happy he got to share victory with his team – team coordinator and his older brother, Josef; technician Lance Winter and race analyst Petr Frantis.
“When I opened the canopy actually I still didn’t know what the result was,” he added.
“A few seconds later we got the result, we all got the news at the same moment as a team and it was an incredible moment. It was my goal for a long time and now it’s come true. I’m happy I had this moment with my team.”