IndyCar’s USF2000 national championship series has emerged with a leader both on and off the track. Sage Karam of Andretti Autosport has won five of eight races so far this season and he leads the series in championship points. He is a rising star within the IndyCar Series, having captured 35 national championships. At just 15 years old, Sage continues to inspire those all around him.

Karam has become involved with Operation Smile for the past year through his manager Michael Fux and The Michael Fux Foundation. Operation Smile is a children’s charity that has been treating facial deformities such as cleft lips and cleft palates all around the world since 1982. More than 150,000 boys and girls have been treated since that time, with the help of many volunteers. Sage is one of many who have volunteered their time so that others may receive a lifetime of smiles.

He was chosen to speak at Operation Smile’s 18^th Annual International Student Leadership Conference, held on the week of August 1-August 5 in Denver, Colorado. The conference brought in 500 students from all over the world. Sage was selected not only based his dedication to Operation Smile, but also his perseverance on the track with Andretti Autosport. The theme of the conference was “Be the Change” and Sage’s speech titled “Life at ½ Speed is Life ½ Lived!” paralleled just that.

The sequence of his presentation was “Start, Pit Stop and Winner’s Circle.” While each of these are steps that Sage takes at the track, they are also steps that we should strive to achieve in our own lives. He described that at the start of any journey it is important to stay focused. This pertains to a race, but also reaches beyond that. Sage feels one should “do what you love and be who you are.” The next step is the “Pit Stop” where you should continue to surround yourself with the right people. Sage feels blessed to be a part of Andretti Autosport and to have met so many amazing people along the way. Many of them have helped continue his pursuit of racing, but also made him a better person. Finally, everyone should aim to end up in the “Winner’s Circle.” This is the primary goal of a driver on the track. However, there are many moments in life where we want to be the victor. Sage stated that one of the most important aspects of this step is to “remain humble.” This will also allow you to use your gifts in order to help others.

A year ago, Karam traveled to Honduras with Operation Smile. Sage described the experience as being life changing and “very emotional when you handed the babies back to their mothers.” He plans on using his talents to make many more trips in the future. Sage hopes that other kids can “look up to him in a positive way.”

Karam has proven to be a leader in all aspects of life. He continues to dominate the USF2000 series, while also working towards the betterment of others. Sage quoted “The theme of the conference is ‘Be the Change’ and how you can change the world one life at a time and that’s what I’m trying to do right now.”