Race car driver Declan Coull awarded 2022 Whitsunday young citizen of the year

When he’s not chasing after a professional racing seat in the world’s best motorsport teams, this F3 teen is training young drivers how to avoid a crash. Read why.

Most kids fall in love with a sport or a hobby at a young age, and it is that obsession that forges a dream for a career path.

For Declan Coull, tinkering with go-karts and buzzing around tracks at eight years old fired the engine on a passion for motorsports.

The 18 year old from the Whitsunday region is now a Formula 3 driver, competing around Australia and trying to impress international racing teams.

But the success Coull has experienced on the track falls short of his success off it, with the racer this week awarded the Whitsundays Young Citizen of the Year in 2022 for his service to the community.

Coull said his work as a defensive driving instructor with Safe Drive Training was some of the most rewarding in his career to date.

“It’s amazing to be able to represent the Whitsunday region and Central Queensland on the national stage, but also highlighting how important road safety is,” he said.

“Driving a car is the most dangerous thing you’re going to do every day, so being able to offer defensive driving courses is really important.

“Hopefully we can bring more courses to Central and Northern Queensland, driver fatality is pretty shocking because of the regional roads.”

When he is not racing across Australia, Coull spends his time between Brisbane and Bowen, teaching young drivers how to cope with the dangers on the roads.

He said he was able to increase his work in the community after the Australian F3 season was cancelled in 2021.

“Last season was cancelled, I was invited to southeast Asia to compete in their F4 but unfortunately it didn’t pan out because of Covid,” he said.

“This year I’ll be competing in the Australia F3, but it is a big interest of mine to race overseas, so hopefully coming into this year I can get some interest in my driving.

“Anything I can do to represent north Queensland and the Whitsundays on the national and international stage would be amazing.”