A remote control car club may seem like an unlikely safe haven for someone coming out as transgender, but for Nicole Garraway, it's home.
The former mechanic and avid motorcyclist was living in the outback town of Alice Springs when she realised she couldn't stand to look at her own reflection.
"I used to wake up in the morning and hate what I saw, now I wake up and love what I see," she said.
Though coming out as transgender in a small town poses its own challenges, on the race track at the Alice Springs Remote Control Club the only thing that matters is speed.
It's a natural fit for the five-time Finke Desert Race competitor.
"I said, 'I'm changing my name to Nicole,' and everyone was like, 'yeah, hi Nicole'," she said.
"I was actually surprised at how much support I got at the club.
"I was thinking that was going to be the worst place, but everyone has been amazing."
Though her body may have changed, Ms Garraway's love of the track has not.
And as far as the Remote Control Car Club Committee is concerned, she's a force to be reckoned with.
"Nobody sees her as anything abnormal or different ... You just don't want to mess with her on the tracks, that's the thing," the committee's Kellie Vermolen said.
"She's got to be brave and she's got to be tough.
"But hey, now I can say she's a girl like us, and that makes me even more proud. I mean, powerful women? Good."
With a population of less than 30,000, it's easy to stand out in a town like Alice Springs.
Ms Garraway wants other people living in regional areas who are struggling with their gender identity to know they're not alone.
"Be honest with your friends about your struggles," she said.
"Pretty much everyone will support you, there's very few people who don't."
After receiving so much support in her outback community, Nicole is now planning a move to Sydney to take the next step in her career.
"[I want] to start working as a mechanic again, because I sort of went away from the tools, but I miss it too much," she said.
"I would love to start racing again, but mum kind of has a bit of an issue with that."
