Most people travel by car to Le Mans, others use a train. But a few have to jump on an aeroplane, and then travel nearly halfway around the world to get there. One of these all-action marshals is Shannon Murphy, from the United States of America, who made her fourth visit to the Sarthe region this year.

“I started in 1979, at a motorcycle event at my ‘local’ circuit of Brainerd International Raceway, where I joined a friend who worked Timing and Scoring, followed by an automobile ice race meeting at Fort Frances. Within two years of that, I became a corner worker [the American term for marshal] for both bikes and cars while keeping the Timing and Scoring role for ice racing.”

It was then that the traveller part of the role started, after completing a visit to Road America, and she fell in love with seeing new places, making new friends, and finding the outstanding aspects of the different regions. Like the time she shared a taxi with a woman “who turned out to be the mother of the mayor of the town I was visiting. She told me all the good restaurants to go to that weren’t tourist traps. Win!”

As well as the “go anywhere” mindset, she has also had the “do anything” approach to motorsport. “I don’t make a good spectator; I want to be involved in what’s going on.” Therefore, over time, she has done every volunteer role available, from marshal to starter on the track, to stewarding, to race organising, and to scrutineering. And to that you can also add media work, a short spell helping on a fire truck, assembly area… in short, she has experience in abundance.

She first attended the 24 Hours in 2006, with her partner, and was over the moon with just the thought of being there, let alone being allowed to work at the event! Her home posting has always been the second chicane on the Mulsanne Straight, where chef de poste Jean Wambach has made her feel most at home. “Jean runs a great team. He handles the situations brought on by volunteer politics with aplomb and the team is better for it.

“I wish I could attend more often, but it is an expensive endeavour for me as the economy caused my business clients to cut back on work for me for a while.”

Sunrise on the Sunday of the race is a favourite moment for Shannon. “You have just completed a long day and night of racing, and then the sun comes up, and you realise you are in for another long day of racing. It’s bittersweet too, because you realise that the event will soon be over.”

For accommodation, she is thankful for friends amongst the English marshals who loan camping equipment for her stay, allowing her more luggage room in her case for essential items, and the collected souvenirs she returns with after each visit. “I will happily do the same for others when foreign marshals visit my local tracks. It’s all part of being the marshalling family.”

Given the cost and distance to get to Le Mans, why does she keep returning? “Because it's France. J’adore La France!

“There’s something about working this 24-hour race that is magical. It takes you away from your everyday life, but it endures just like your everyday life. The international aspect of it is very important to me, because, well, it is an example to the world of what we all could be like if we cooperate but are still ourselves.

“As the saying goes, ‘Racing is life’ and Le Mans is racing.”