Engines Revved Up

At young impressionable ages, when most adolescents were figuring out matters of the heart, these young women had already found their true love.

The sweet sound of engines revving, the feel of the wind on their faces, and the thrill of the ride continues to be the panacea for their soul. Diverse in ages, different in interests, yet sharing one strong bond, meet members of Women’s International Motorcycle Association (WIMA), India (Vizag), the first of its kind women motorcycling group from the city. Jaya Siva Murty brings their story.

VAISHALI KULKARNI MORE

Unusual beginnings

All of 52 years young, Vaishali More thanks the good-old-times, when social media wasn’t so prevalent, and people still had their privacy. “I was into dirt biking and stunts on bikes at college, and thanks to a lack of social media, more often than not, my parents did not know what I was up to”, she laughs. Often found competing with boys, her father decided to put a stop to her biking, and got her married. “This worked out in my favour, she shares, for my husband gave me all the freedom I wanted.” Having taken a break when her son was growing, she’s been back in the biking scene since 2015, as the first solo woman motorbiker of AP. “The day I got my bike, an ex-student was visiting, and she was my first pillion rider. She was also the one who gave my bike her name of ‘Esprit Libre’ meaning free spirit.” This was shortened to make her name Ellie, an entity which has been with Vaishali through her fascinating times and over 26,058kms of riding till date.

Awards and recognition