Michelle Duff
Michelle Ann Duff was a Canadian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.
Riding
Duff's best season was in 1965, winning the 250cc Finnish Grand Prix and finishing the year in second place to Phil Read.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 short documentary film Ride for Your Life, directed by Robin Spry.
Personal life and death
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 gender-affirming surgery, she wrote about her experiences as a professional motorcycle racer in Make Haste, Slowly: The Mike Duff story.Duff died in Liverpool, Nova Scotia on 23 July 2025, at the age of 85.