International Treasurer 1997-2007 and Ellen Pfeiffer Award recipient in 2022
I started my life on a motorcycle as a baby. My highly pregnant mother and me as second daughter in the sidecar of a BMW and my five-year old sister as pillion on the backseat (not close to the driver). But when the third baby was born, my mother decided to have a washing machine instead of the BMW.
At the age of 18 I wanted to pass my driver’s licence for car and motorcycle, but because at that time I had to be 21 to sign contracts as an adult, my dad refused to sign, because he did not like women riding motorcycles, so I made my father’s signature myself. (Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere.) When I came home with my first bike (a Yamaha 250 DS7) he was very disappointed, because it was a Japanese one. After two years with the two-stroke including two holes in a piston, I changed to a BMW 75/5 and now he was proud enough to ask me if he could ride it.
In 1977 I bought a Yamaha XT 500 and had a lot of fun with her, except the difficult starting procedure. Unhappily my brother-in-law crashed her and for some years I changed my ride to a Suzuki 1000cc.
In 1983 I stopped my career because I was pregnant with Sascia. In 1985 my husband allowed my WIMA journey to Stockholm on his beloved Bimota SB3 (not really a touring bike!) and in 1986 he surprised me with a black Kawasaki GPX 750R underneath the Christmas tree! Her name was ‘Espresso’. She was followed by ‘Moulin Rouge’, my last motorcycle Honda VFR800. Sadly I had to sell her because of a cerebral attack in 2012. But now I feel very happy in my husband’s sidecar (Suzuki Bandit 1200) which is very comfortable for me and powerful enough for him.
(2025)
Sheonagh Ravensdale adds:
Floh was hugely important for many years, from very early days in the 70s, helping Ellen Pfeiffer with the organisation of WIMA Germany, uniting many women’s groups into one. She worked with scraps of paper and index cards, behind the scenes, supporting Ellen who preferred riding to admin! A discussion arose among the captains during the 1990s about replacing Louise who was no longer active. I checked with Floh if she wanted to do it and she refused, preferring to stay in the background as treasurer. We worked closely together throughout my presidency. We decided to build up a fund and to charge half a euro per member. Floh managed all of this, while working full-time and bringing up their daughter Sascia who came as a pillion until she was old enough to ride her own bike. Floh is an accomplished linguist and throughout my time as president would simultaneously translate my speeches into German at every rally. She was also the first person I turned to for advice. She remained as WIMA International treasurer, long after I stood down, until 2007. WIMA Germany and WIMA internationally would not be where they are now without her.
This is the nomination that was submitted by WIMA Germany:
Floh has been a WIMA Germany member since 1974, one of its early members. She came to her first rally in 1974 and participated in many rallies after that. Almost from the beginning, she supported Ellen Pfeiffer energetically and committedly. She took care of the administration, the public relations, the press and much more in the steadily growing WIMA Germany division. In 1978, she also took over the post of treasurer.
In 1983, Floh took over the office of WIMA Germany captain from Ellen Pfeiffer and led the business of WIMA Germany for 18 years in a diligent one-woman-show, until she decided to hand over the office in 2001. After that, she was still active as international treasurer until 2007.
Unfortunately, for health reasons, Floh had to end her great passion ‘motorcycling’ forever. Nevertheless, she is still a WIMA Germany member and is represented in the meantime by her daughter Sascia, who has also been a WIMA Germany member for several years.
Together with Ellen Pfeiffer, Floh is one of the most important women in the WIMA Germany history since our foundation in 1958 and a WIMA ambassador with passion. She speaks German, English, French and a little Italian. WIMA Germany, and the international WIMA would not be what it is today without Floh. Only because of women like her, can an organisation like WIMA exist for more than 70 years – Floh has been a part of our WIMA family for almost 40 years and has more than deserved this award, which bears the name of one of her early WIMA friends, for her years of voluntary commitment. Hardly anyone knew Ellen better than Floh.
The fact that she has not received the award so far can only be due to the misunderstanding that WIMA Germany assumed that repeated nominations were not possible. Floh was nominated in 2006 – a year in which there were 3 nominations, but only one award was given. Multiple awards have only been possible since 2007. We would now like to finally give Floh the honour she deserves and present her with the Ellen Pfeiffer award. If any woman deserves it, it is Floh.
