THE pleasant surroundings of her farm near Evesham is half a world and more than half a lifetime away from where it all started for Joy Rainey.

The Australian girl whose heart is now firmly in the Vale of Evesham tells a remarkable life story in her first book Fast Lady published last week.

Joy has lived in Evesham for the past 20 years but was born in the small town of Geelong in Australia after the war and grew up during the 1950's surrounded by cars and the smell of burning rubber - her father was three times Australian Formula 3 champion Murray Rainey.

She joined her father on a racing trip to Europe in 1959 and has been involved in motor sport ever since.

Joy has driven everything from single seat hill climb cars at Shelsey Walsh to a vintage Alfa Romeo and Jaguars.

Perhaps her greatest achievement is her most recent when earlier this year she took a Morris Minor through seven countries and three continents on the gruelling London to Sydney marathon.

The gruelling month-long adventure cost £27,000 - money that Joy had to raise in sponsorship.

Interspersed with motor sport Joy has had a turbulent life including a failed married, a period as principle of a language school and a financial disaster that forced her out of the sport for eight years. As a student she studied in Italy.

She is well known in the Vale of Evesham and for three years ran a shop in Broadway selling Aboriginal products.

What makes Joy even more remarkable is that she was born with restricted growth and had to wear leg irons until she was aged 16.

"I was born small and this has never been an issue for me. Other people think it has had a big influence on my life but I don't feel that way," said Joy.

Her collection of cars is something that people with oil in their blood would kill for. She has a 1933 three Morgan three-wheeler, a 1936 Alfa Romeo, a 1970 E Type Jaguar was well as the Morris Minor that was also built in 1970.

Joy now earns her living writing about motoring for the Daily Telegraph and specialist magazines including Classic Car. But she never planned to write the book.

"I had a meeting with Haynes Publishing and mentioned writing something about the London to Sydney marathon. They came back and suggested an autobiography," said Joy.

"As it happened I did some writing a few years ago - not for publication but as therapy to help me through a bad patch. This material has now come in very useful."

Joy's life has been anything but mundane but her remark that it "feels like it at times" provides a valuable insight into the mind of a woman who has proved that size really doesn't matter.

This is not a lady who is likely to be content with a bit of part of journalism and wandering the Worcestershire countryside.

The next adventure is unlikely to be far away. "There is a long distance rally in Africa next year but it is probably too soon, said Joy. Having spoken to her I would not bet against it.

Fast lady: My life in Motor Sport by Joy Rainey is published by Haynes Publishing, priced £17.99 with a foreword written by Australian Alan Jones, the 1980 Formula One World Champion.