Less than a year after I learned to ride, at 36, I survived a no-fault motorcycle accident that left me a widow and turned my world upside down. Yet I was determined to ride again. The encouragement and support of some special motorcycling women I met by chance when I bought another motorcycle helped me get back on the road. The riding bug bit me again, and I was hooked!
Soon after, I left everything behind to disappear off around the world on my Triumph Tiger. During my travels, I unexpectedly spent a few weeks travelling with the then National President of WIMA Malaysia. It was during this whirlwind experience I learned about and joined WIMA. The experience also revealed to me a new way to travel, combining the joy, peacefulness and excitement of riding with meeting the best of people in the world.
After completing my own 15 month world circumnavigation, I joined in with the Women Riders World Relay finale. Here I met many more WIMA National Presidents. I saw how motorcycling had connected and empowered women from all over the world in a powerful and very moving way. Freshly inspired, and having been grounded travel wise by the pandemic, I took on the role of National President for WIMA GB. This proved rewarding for the connections and friends I made doing it. After stepping down, I remained on the WIMA GB committee. Among other things helping with the production of the WIMA GB newsletter every month, even though by now I was living in France – because I believe in the importance of the record the newsletter provides. This partly comes from having been able to search through decades worth of rich newsletters to find information for the new WIMA History book.
My role as International Historian is about collecting and preserving information about WIMA from the past and present, for the future.