20-year-old women’s Surfing World Champion Stephanie Gilmore will swap her surfboard for the all new Fiat 500 in the Celebrity Challenge race at the F1 Australian Grand Prix on 16th March.

Women’s Surfing World Champion, Stephanie Gilmore, will swap her surfboard for the all new Fiat 500 in the Celebrity Challenge race at the 2008 F1 ING Australian Grand Prix.

Gilmore, who turned 20 just days ago, is the first rookie in the history of the sport to take the world title. She joins fellow Queenslander Mick Fanning as the world surfing champion for 2007 and is also one of a record six Aussies to be nominated for the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards, which will be announced in the Russian city of St Petersburg on 18 February.

“After such an amazing year, it’s going to be cool to take a little time out and try my hand at something completely different,” said Gilmore. “I’m really looking forward to meeting all the other competitors and perhaps getting some tips on what helped keep them motivated throughout their hugely successful careers.”

The girl they call “Happy Gilmore” joins an all-star list that now features:

Nathan Buckley – 280-game Aussie Rules superstar (20 games with Brisbane; 260 games with Collingwood); Brownlow medallist (2003); Norm Smith Medallist (2002); All Australian team (1996, 1997, 1998, 2001)

Luke Darcy – 226-game Aussie Rules champion with the Western Bulldogs; All Australian team (2002); Charles Sutton Medal (Western Bulldogs Best & Fairest – 2001).

Glenn Archer – 311-game Aussie Rules hero with the Kangaroos (North Melbourne); Players’ Choice Shinboner (selected as the player most epitomizing the heart and soul of the Kangaroos); Norm Smith Medallist (1996); All Australian team (1996, 1998, 2002)

Ben Tune - Australian Rugby Union winger; member of 1999 World Cup winning Wallaby squad.

Nicole Pratt – icon of women’s tennis; Australian Federation Cup team (1998 – 2007); fourth round Australian Open (2003 – first Australian woman to reach the fourth round in ten years); second round Sydney Olympics (2000); third round Athens Olympics (2004).

All drivers will take to the wheel of the Fiat 500, winner of 2008 European Car of the Year. Spectators at this year’s Grand Prix will not only see a completely revamped celebrity race, but also a line-up of arguably the best motor sport action anywhere in the world that includes Formula One, V8 Supercars, Carrera Cup, Australian GT Championship and Aussie Racing Cars. A free, two-hour Kiss concert is scheduled to kick off after the main race on Sunday, 16 March, with kids 12 and under granted free admission every day, when accompanied by a paying adult.