International President 2003-2007 and Ellen Pfeiffer Award recipient in 2021
I was born in The Netherlands at midnight between 11th and 12th January 1968, so my mother told me. She chose the 11th, and I have celebrated this for many years now. Passing my motorcycle licence in the winter of 1988 it seemed a bit far to travel to the WIMA rally in Hungary, summer 1989, so I took part in my first WIMA rally in Maurik, The Netherlands in 1989.
Right before the next rally, in France 1990, my mother had passed away, therefore my father and youngest brother came along to my second international WIMA rally. My motorbike, a Kawasaki Z650 was transported in the back of our van, also during the crossing to Great Britain, where we took part in WIMA GB’s ruby rally (WIMA’s 40th anniversary). I still meet participants of those rallies, like Ann Weir from Wales whom we visited back then in 1990 and I was proud she attended our 2019 Dushi WIMA rally in Curaçao! I have tried to attend every WIMA rally since, because WIMA is like family in life, sharing ups-and-downs and the same big passion of motorcycling.
I just love adventure, riding and meeting such diverse women coming from all over the world. My interest in other countries and cultures may have led to emigration to the country of Curaçao, an island in the Caribbean. It was 2001 when I continued my job as an English teacher here and started exploring this side of the world. I had sold my BMW K1100 to buy a 1976 boxer 600 CC that stayed in The Netherlands for my trips in Europe. Somehow, a similar 900 CC boxer from 1976 crossed my path on Curaçao; my colleague had me test-ride it and never got it back because I bought it from him.
In the meantime, Sheonagh had asked me to become international president, of which I felt honoured, but I thought I was living too far away. After I had settled properly, I realised this shouldn’t be an issue because WIMA is a worldwide association and was established in nearby USA in 1950. I decided to take the position for a while, finishing the tough job Sheonagh, Erica Smith and all national presidents had been working on, i.e. the first full international constitution since Louise Scherbyn’s day. In 2006 I participated in the AMA women’s rally in Atlanta, USA thanks to Alice Sexton who had invited me over. I handed over my international president’s role, with my tent hammer, to Angie Trevaskis at the rally in Thüringen in Germany in 2007.
Back home on Curaçao I spoke to Chinka Olario about WIMA and WIMA Curaçao was founded by the end of 2011. I’ve kept riding, motivating others to join and inviting people over to Curaçao. We did a Women Riders World Relay (WRWR) Ripple ride on our Dushi island; we’ve been amazed by the effects of this WRWR on motorcycling women worldwide and were proud to meet Hayley Bell in 2019 in Castleton, UK.
Lastly, I was honoured to receive the Ellen Pfeiffer award in 2021, having met her several times at WIMA rallies in Europe. The word is spread: motorcycling is fun, so ride safe and looking forward to our next meet and greet.
(2022)
This is the nomination that was submitted by WIMA Curaçao:
Rita has been a member of WIMA since 1988; first of WIMA The Netherlands and later of WIMA Curaçao. She got her motorcycle licence in December 1987 and decided she wasn’t experienced enough to attend the 1988 Hungarian rally. As of 1989, Rita has attended all WIMA rallies in Europe and she was acquainted with Ellen Pfeiffer; they were both musicians, played the guitar and sang together. Rita was captain of WIMA The Netherlands from 1998 to 2001. Then she moved to Curaçao, Dutch Caribbean, and she was the WIMA international president between 2003 and 2006. She always made sure to plan her vacation around the WIMA rallies in Europe and amongst others, attended the AMA Women in Motorcycling Conference in Atlanta US, in 2006. As a teacher she was, regretfully, not in the position to attend rallies outside school vacation weeks like the rallies in Australia, New Zealand and Japan. In Curaçao, Rita was always talking about WIMA so enthusiastically that together with two other female motorcyclists, WIMA Curaçao was founded in December 2011.
Rita ‘brought’ WIMA to Curacao and as co-founder of WIMA Curaçao, has been involved as secretary/treasurer and she is the best WIMA ambassador you can have.
Years before the Dushi WIMA rally 2019 in Curaçao, Rita first checked by means of Survey Monkey questionnaire if there were enough WIMA members worldwide interested to participate and able to fly to Curaçao for this rally. With the results of the questionnaire, she knew what people were interested in, visiting a tropical rally and she started an inventory of possible activities, locations, prices etc. Later more WIMA Curaçao members joined her to prepare for the first Caribbean WIMA rally ever, which was very successful.
Rita is the binding factor for WIMA Curaçao. Without Rita, we must conclude that WIMA Curaçao would not have been founded and it would not have existed anymore. Rita never gives up and brings forward plans, keeps all informed and makes sure that board and member meetings are held. She ensures that there is an activity calendar, she takes care of the minutes of meetings and helps other members when they have motorcycle questions or issues. Not only in Curaçao, but also during WIMA International rallies she tries to find solutions or approaches a person who can assist a person with technical problems with their bike. Together with Rita we have made a lot of great memories, we still add to those, and new friendships have frequently been started.
Rita is very communicative, sociable and she easily associates with anything concerning motorcycling. In the timespan of almost 20 years that she has been living in Curaçao, she has come to know a lot of people and they always ask her if she has been riding recently and how WIMA Curaçao is doing. During WIMA International rallies, you notice that she knows most people and has socialised with many for a very long time.
Rita is always up for fun (wrapping a bike in toilet paper, decorating a tent, popping up on stage playing the drums, doing the Flee-Fly-Flo song whenever Berry Keller was not present) playing the guitar, providing entertainment at the campfire, and singing with whoever wanted to join. She even brings along, when space on her motorbike allows, several copies of song books so everybody can join in and sing together.
Finally, Rita is considerate and always keeps a keen look out to see if everybody is safe and she also encourages new riders to ride safely, helping them wherever she can with riding advice.
The 2021 WIMA International rally in Grolloo, The Netherlands, will be Rita’s 33rd rally. We, WIMA Curaçao members think it is about time that Rita receives the Ellen Pfeiffer award!
