Supercars team owner Betty Klimenko says she will not be attending any of the forthcoming events in Sydney due to what she believes is vaccination discrimination.
The Erebus Motorsport owner took to social media after a Daily Telegraph story reported Glenn Matthews, CEO of the Australian Racing Drivers’ Club which operates Sydney Motorsport Park, had received hate mail from anti-vaxxers.
That came in the wake of the venue mandating that anyone wishing to enter the venue be twice vaccinated, per New South Wales Government health regulations.
In the Facebook post, Klimenko lamented discrimination towards those who were unvaccinated, some who she said do not have a choice but were being ‘treated like the great unwashed’.
“For me this is not about are you or aren’t you, it’s about my fellow Australians and the path we seem to be following, fear and misinformation is a terrible thing,” she wrote.
“The one thing Covid has taught me is how society weaponises FOMO (fear of missing out). Letting go of FOMO brings strength and power to yourself. You need to own your own compass.
“So getting back to ‘The Creek’ which from here on in, will be known as the ‘The Swamp’, I will NOT be going to any of the races, and will not be going to The Swamp.
“I believe and have always lived by a great belief, ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing’
“This post is going up today [October 9] as I am sick of people talking on my behalf. I will never tell anyone how to live, eat, or do, anything.
“I will not give anyone the power to use FOMO against me. I will not allow anyone to tell me, ‘What will people say?’, ‘What will people think?’. I will not live my life in fear.
“As a great movie said, ‘I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me’.
“I hope you understand what I am trying to say. Everyone eventually has a turn of being a victim, if you dont make a statement, you can turn around and it is you in the firing line.
“Nothing stops today’s bullies, being tomorrows victims. We need to stop being Karens, experts on diseases, and vindictive analyst’s, what we need to be, is just mates.”
Today New South Wales ended its lengthy lockdown, albeit, with health restrictions remaining in place.
Individuals who are fully vaccinated will have special privileges, including being able to attend major sporting events which are able to host up to 5000 people.
When the Repco Supercars Championship returns later this month, it’s expected all 24 full-time drivers will be fully vaccinated.
