Leilani Münter, a remarkable individual, has transitioned from a biology graduate to a professional race car driver and environmental activist. Her impressive achievements have earned her recognition from esteemed organizations, including Discovery's Planet Green, which named her the #1 Eco Athlete in the world. Additionally, ELLE Magazine awarded her the 2012 Genius Award, and Sports Illustrated listed her among the top ten female race car drivers globally.
Leilani holds a bachelor's degree in Biology, specializing in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution from the University of California, San Diego. Since 2007, she has made a remarkable commitment, adopting an acre of rainforest for every race she runs. Her dedication to environmental causes extends beyond her racing career, as she has actively participated in clean energy legislation initiatives on Capitol Hill.
As an almost lifelong vegetarian, Leilani has been a vocal advocate for animal welfare and conservation. She was one of the first activists to arrive at the 2010 Gulf oil disaster and has visited Taiji, Japan three times to document the dolphin slaughter depicted in the Academy Award-winning documentary "The Cove."
Leilani's impressive racing career has seen her compete in ARCA, a development league of NASCAR, and the Indy Pro Series, the development league of IndyCar. She holds the record for the highest finish for a female driver in the history of the Texas Motor Speedway, finishing fourth in 2006. Her accomplishments have been featured in prominent publications, including USA Today, Italian Vogue, Glamour, The New York Times, Washington Post, Reader's Digest, Esquire, and a national ad campaign for Lucky Brand Jeans.
Her tagline, "Leilani Münter, Saving Rainforests One Race at a Time," reflects her dedication to environmental causes. With family ties to the music community, her brother-in-law being Grateful Dead guitarist and singer Bob Weir, Leilani's motto is "Never underestimate a vegetarian hippie chick with a race car." She documents her eco-friendly efforts on her website and the green section of The Huffington Post.
