Michelle Ann Duff (born Michael Alan Duff on December 13, 1939) is a former

Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

road racer.

Riding

Duff's best season was in 1965, winning the 250cc

Finnish Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...

and finishing the year in second place to

Phil Read Phillip William Read, (1 January 1939 – 6 October 2022) was an English professional motorcycle racer. He competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1961 to 1976. Read is notable for being the first competitor to win world championships ...

. Duff suffered a near-fatal crash in Japan and required extensive surgery and physical therapy. The recovery was documented in the 1967

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...

short documentary film ''Ride for Your Life'', directed by

Robin Spry Robin Spry (October 25, 1939 – March 28, 2005) was a Canadian film director and television producer and screenwriter. Spry was perhaps best known for his documentary films '' Action: The October Crisis of 1970'' and '' Reaction: A Portrait of ...

Private life

Duff married a Finnish woman in 1963 and had a son with her the same year, and a daughter two years later. In 1984, she changed her name to Michelle and commenced transition, separating from her wife. Following

sex reassignment surgery Gender-affirming surgery (GAS) is a surgical procedure, or series of procedures, that alters a transgender or transsexual person's physical appearance and sexual characteristics to resemble those associated with their identified gender, and a ...

, she wrote about her experiences as a professional motorcycle racer (note that this book is not about her life as a

trans woman A trans woman or a transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity, may experience gender dysphoria, and may transition; this process commonly includes hormone replacement therapy and s ...

) in ''Make Haste, Slowly: The Mike Duff story''.

World Championship results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap. An empty black cell indicates that the class did not compete at that particular championship round.)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duff, Mike 1939 births Living people 125cc World Championship riders 250cc World Championship riders 350cc World Championship riders 500cc World Championship riders Canadian motorcycle racers Isle of Man TT riders Canadian LGBT sportspeople Canadian transgender people LGBT racing drivers Sportspeople from Toronto Transgender sportswomen 21st-century Canadian LGBT people