Elite athletes who look to stunts for a living, the thrill and adrenaline rush of the sport

The 27-year-old says she entered the company at a time when the representation of black women has improved as more women of color are being chosen for lead roles. “Where the movie industry moves forward with diversity, naturally the liners have to match the actors,” she says. “In previous years they might have been able to get away with transforming a white woman or even transforming a man and putting a wig on him. Now that doesn’t quite correspond to where we are in the world. . If you can find a stunt girl with the right skin color, then I think it’s fair that everyone has the opportunity. “

Hawkins and Francis would both like to pursue stunt work as a potential career after sports, but are aware of years of training in six different disciplines – including gymnastics, trampoline, diving, horseback riding, driving and a compulsory martial art – and over £ 30,000 needed to qualify for the proper qualifications to join the official stunts registry.

For now, using their specific expertise is their only option, but they are taking full advantage of it. For Hawkins, chasing that adrenaline rush is what drives her. “It’s very similar [to racing]because you are always aware that you are pushing yourself and the car to the absolute limit. You are always on the verge of risk. I would never call my racing or my job stunt driving because how could it work when you enjoy it? ”