Women, Motorcycles and the Road to Empowerment

Acknowledgements

The real authors of this book are the women who shared from their hearts. Many roads converged to arrive at the collective wisdom conveyed within these pages. Although the stories were gathered over the past three years, in reality, each message is the culmination of a lifetime of experiences. I am deeply grateful to these courageous women who entrusted me with the delivery of their messages. Their tales are told with references to time and biographical data reflecting the dates the original interviews were conducted.

Among these women, I’d like to extend special thanks to two who played a significant role in moving this book to fruition. Carla King was an inspiration as an adventurer, motorcyclist, writer and publisher. Genevieve Schmitt saw the concept as a finished product as soon as she heard about it. As experts and leaders in their respective fields, their support and encouragement was invaluable.

Special thanks go to Alison Cunliffe, editor extraordinaire, who was a delight to work with. Her eye for detail and abilities to pare and shape have crystallized and strengthened the message.

Author and Toronto Star Wheels Editor Mark Richardson saw the potential early on and was instrumental in the fledgling draft reaching maturity. He generously provided insights, expertise, candid feedback and inspiration along the way. Author and publisher Max Burns mysteriously believed in my writing ability and was one of the first to take a new writer under his wing and get her started in the right direction. Writer Lorraine Sommerfeld encouraged and prompted me while the book was still in its infancy. She also gave me the opening line. Writer Adrian Blake pitched in and connected me with several key contacts.

Thank you to Jackie Quinton and Tricia Secretan for their critical eyes and guidance. A very special acknowledgement to the Universe for delivering Tricia to the chair beside me at an authors’ night. That moment changed my life.

Linda Emblem coached me at a pivotal time and introduced me to the creative process that birthed this book. Around the same time, Stephen Walters entered my life and has ever since been a solid and generous supporter of my creative initiatives. Karen Hodgson lent her keen skills and endorsement.

Thank you to the many other friends, colleagues, clients and strangers who have extended kindness all along the way.

Finally, I have been blessed to have the influence of my Mennonite heritage and the enduring, enthusiastic and unconditional support of my parents and family, just as they have stood with me all my life.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Prologue

Chapter 1 – How Motorcycling Empowers Us

Chapter 2 – Perceptions on Power

Debbie Evans

Lise Grenier

Toni Sharpless

Madeleine Marques

Juanita Losch-Finlan

Nancy Irwin

Holly Ralph

Chapter 3 – Chariots of Change

Andrea Tillmann

Judith Eden

Diane Ortiz

Lois Pryce

Cheryl Stewart

Chapter 4 – Getting Past Go

Patti Pepin

Jolene Mosca

Cathy Walter

Teresa Vincent

Hazel Carson

Mary Barry

Chapter 5 – Dealing With the Unexpected

Sue Cannell

Roxie Malone

Kate Insley

Elizabeth Bokfi

Catherine Swift

Chapter 6 – Connecting With Spirit

Laura Culic

Kersty Franklin

Meg Thorburn

Ila Sisson

Chapter 7 – Discovering and Using Your Power

Carla King

Tigra Tsujikawa

Kellee Irwin

Catherine Nadeau

Oksana Buhel

Jennifer Robertson

Shelly Glover

Chapter 8 – Leading with your Heart

Doris Maron

Woody Woodward

Lesley Gering

Barbara Wynd

Chapter 9 – Sharing the Legacy

Sue Slate

Stefy Bau

Gwen Roberts

Yolanda Tesselaar

Chapter 10 – Riding Your Own Ride

Leslie Porterfield

Deb Grey

Audrey Alexandre

Genevieve Schmitt

Rebecca Herwick

The Last Word

Bibliography

Acknowledgements

Introduction

What I am looking for is not out there. It is in me. Deaf and blind author and activist Helen Keller

We are on a journey — a road trip — along our own path to awareness. Each one of us has been given choices on how we proceed. I think God has a sense of adventure and consider myself blessed that the motorcycle has long been an integral part of my journey. My motorcycle has carried me to people, places and experiences I would never have imagined possible. It has been my guide and has often been involved in some way when life has scheduled a lesson. I am where I am today because of the motorcycle.

Not everyone rides a motorcycle on their journey. There are many other ways to become aware of who you really are and experience all life has to offer. Some people paint, write, play music, go on retreats, meditate, travel, volunteer their time or coach sports. For me, it is the motorcycle.

How we learn to embrace and overcome challenges and reap the rewards weaves an exquisite tapestry that becomes the picture of who we are. This book is about our journey along our personal, emotional and spiritual path to enlightenment and becoming all that we are: why we’re on this road trip. The stories illustrate how motorcycling allows and encourages this. If you don’t relate to motorcycling, substitute what fits best for you. The message will still be clear.

At some point in our lives, we stand at a threshold we need to cross to reach our destination. This can be daunting, particularly when it is toward something non-traditional. Making the decision to cross that threshold has implications for how the rest of our life unfolds.

That threshold occurs at different periods in the life of each of us, often many times. We must look within, discover where we are and summon the limitless power that resides within us and moves us forward.

The motorcycle can transport us to awareness. Riding is a sensual, visceral, nourishing experience for body, mind and soul. It engages all our senses — sight, sound, smell, taste, touch — and our sixth sense of understanding and insight.

When I began this book, I knew only it was to be about women, motorcycling and personal power; and I would collect stories from women riders about how they discovered and used their own personal power. What difference did riding make in their lives? How did they transfer that to other areas of their lives? What difference did it make to those around them?

I hope the stories you are about to experience are even fractionally as significant to you as they were to me.

Prologue

I lay in the mud and rain, the front tire of the motorcycle spinning in the air beside my head. In an instant, my life had changed forever.

I had started the day as a student at an off-road training course. Even for a day of riding early in the season, the weather was miserable. It was cold and rainy, and the woods were damp.

Our path led us to lush mixed pine and hardwood forests awakening from their winter hibernation. Our every breath brought smells of spring: the moist earth, damp bark on the trees, spring flowers, extravagant new undergrowth, the proliferation of green everywhere amid the puddles along the muddy, rutted trail.

Every so often, our instructor would stop, dismount and demonstrate how to navigate a particular hazard, and then we’d try it ourselves. Challenging ourselves, learning new skills and successfully steering around, over or through obstacles was invigorating and empowering.

Noon was on us before we knew it. The final reward for a morning of accomplishments was a stimulating ride through another part of the forest on the way back to the base for lunch and a chance to warm up. I was exhilarated, but I was also recognizing the onset of fatigue as unfamiliar physical exertion and the battle with the elements extracted their price.

As I crested a hill and began to descend, I saw my instructor and Nancy, another student, already stopped at the bottom, just before a small water hazard. What I didn’t see until it grabbed my front tire was a huge rut in the middle of the trail. I flew off my bike. I landed solidly on my right shoulder. I knew immediately my life had radically changed, if only because my right arm refused to move. I had yet to comprehend the magnitude of that change.

The instructor and Nancy ran up the hill to help. Someone pulled the bike off me and parked it to the side of the trail. I could see no obvious trauma and my arm didn’t hurt if I stayed still, but try as I might, it wouldn’t budge. I sat in the cold and rain, helpless.

My business centers on motorcycles, and it was the beginning of the season. This couldn’t have happened to me. I was fifty-four years old and on my own. How would I ever manage?

I believe everyone we come into contact with has a message to share, and so it was that morning. Trying to distract me, Nancy pointed out the trilliums carpeting the woods directly in my field of vision. I had noticed the flowers, or thought I had. The symbolism didn’t sink in until Nancy drew my attention to them. I had chosen the name Trillium Motorcycle Tours for my business because to me it meant springtime, growth, rebirth and hope, and it was the flower of Ontario, my home province.

I am right-handed, so everything I do involves my right arm. And on the motorcycle, the right hand controls the throttle and the front brake — moving forward, accelerating and stopping — all having to do with control and power. Even so, I was calm, partly because I was in shock and denial, but somehow I also knew a divine experience was unfolding. A course correction had just occurred and a special lesson awaited me. Now I had to discover where my power really was.

Nature is where I go to get grounded: walking along a deserted beach and marveling at the immensity of the ocean and the ceaseless cycles of the tide, or gazing at the stars and planets in an indigo sky on a cold, clear night. Most invigorating for me is a hike through a hardwood forest, and I am fortunate to have plenty of that in my back yard. I find a spiritual quality in the woods and an energy that doesn’t exist anywhere else for me. But this time my motorcycle had taken me into the woods and grounded me. When I came out in the passenger seat of an ATV, my shoulder was broken and my life was about to be very different.

What followed was the darkest period of my life. I felt broken, alone and abandoned. It hurt physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. I didn’t know how I could ever be whole again. I tried to focus on my belief that out of the darkness comes growth. I tried to want what was to come: exploring, discovering and listening to my inner self. I knew that growth process would be immensely rewarding and meaningful, but the light seemed so far away.

As I recuperated at home in quiet emotional darkness amid spring rains, though, ideas could take root. It was time to reflect, refocus and restore direction.

This book germinated during that period. I decided I would collect stories from women who rode: stories about how they triumphed over challenges and grew. Some of the stories would be about motorcycling; others would be about how lessons learned through motorcycling had gotten the riders through challenging times.

I soon realized as well that I needed an answer to a big question in my own story. How did I get to the point in life where I had needed to be awakened at forty-eight years of age, but then still needed a spiritual wakeup call in the woods six years later?

And so this book grew.

Chapter 1 — How Motorcycling Empowers Us

"When I pull up on my motorcycle, there is an assumption of ‘Wow, there’s a woman of strength,’ even though it's not about strength, it’s about balance." President and CEO Rebecca Herwick

Ever since the first steam-engine motorcycle appeared in 1867, motorcycles have held a certain mystique. Not to diminish it or in any way take away from its power in symbolism and reach in metaphors, but a motorcycle is basically a piece of metal and a few other materials on two wheels. Yet it’s also so much more. It’s a partnership. Watching the mastery of rider over machine when they join together in perfect harmony is like observing a beautiful dance that gives birth to power, strength, balance and positive change.

The Oxford Dictionary defines power as the ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way. Empowerment makes someone stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights.

We all recognize power differently and vary in our perception of how much power we have. It could take the same amount of power for one person to travel the world as it does for another to summon the courage to begin a new job. Regardless of where we stand, using our power brings us happiness and fulfillment, and a sense of accomplishment, meaning and purpose.

Often our power remains dormant or underutilized, but when we use our power, we discover more of it. So, how we manage our energy and who and what we give it to is very important. Negative thoughts and behaviors deplete us; positive actions affirm and grow our power base. And the ripple effects on others can be enormous. I had no idea my words would one day save a life. None of us do. So, it’s important to act from a position of love and gratitude rather than fear and negativity. Whichever we use spreads, so why not spread goodness?

Powerful people are usually defined by status, accomplishments, titles or accumulation of material possessions. These illusions can cause us to lose sight of our own power and who we are.

How does a motorcycle acquaint us with our power?

It appeals to our basic nature, satisfies primal needs and brings out our strengths by providing the following ingredients, which are essential to the survival of our souls:

Adventure. Riding calls to the unique wild nature within each of us. Eventually, we answer that call, and then wonder why we didn’t respond sooner. It brings us to who we are and our connection to all other living things, including the collective wisdom and unlimited power of the universe.

Connection with Spirit. Nothing stills my mind like a motorcycle ride as I embrace the peace of the present moment, where my power and creativity reside. Riding encompasses all my senses, including the sixth one. Riding is great for clearing my mind of clutter and leaving worries and fears behind.

Any rider will tell you riding outside of urban areas is a spiritual experience. Traverse the mountains, cross the plains, pass through a forest or alongside the ocean and you can’t miss the connection to the universe. All your senses are engaged. Your eyes take in the grandeur and beauty. Your ears note the wind as it rushes by, the crashing breakers or the silence. You smell the freshly cut hay, the redwood forests, lilacs in the spring. You feel temperature changes as you alter elevation or latitude, or approach water. You taste the salt air and the clover.

All that pales in comparison with how riding engages your spirit. You’re enveloped in feelings of peace, euphoria and joy, all rolled into one. It brings you into the now, where nothing except the present moment matters.

Freedom. Motorcycling represents freedom for many men and women. New riders get a taste of this as soon as they learn to ride and move even those first few feet under power. But initially, a rider is absorbed in learning how to operate the machine safely. Still, with proficiency, the feeling of freedom will grow.

Our life paths have no shortages of twists and turns, which is why the motorcycle is ideal to carry us symbolically to where we are going. It’s flexible, versatile and when properly tuned, has more power than we’ll ever need to carry both us and our loads, whether physical, emotional or spiritual. The motorcycle is up to a challenge, change and variety. And we alone control our vehicle.

Confidence. Most of the women who participated in this book said they see other woman riders as the embodiment of power. Their body language exudes confidence, strength, fearlessness, independence and love of life. They have the courage to be who they are and not bow to stereotypes or be stopped by being told they’re too short, too weak or too feminine, or they’ll never learn. They’re skilled, proficient, determined. They have set their minds to accomplish something and then have done it. They are role models: interesting, fun-loving, full of moxie.

Independence. Riding a motorcycle is a solitary pursuit. When we’re riding, it’s us and our motorcycle. Even when we’re riding with a group, we’re alone with our thoughts, our fears and our beliefs. When we ride, we alone make the decisions about how our motorcycle is ridden and where it goes. As we deal successfully with progressive challenges, the successes are ours to claim.

Community. We all seek like-minded spirits, whether physical or spiritual, visible or invisible. Most new riders are amazed at the instant bond and the camaraderie and compassion among riders. Sometimes we’ve been searching for years for the right tribe to join. When we find our clan, though, we discover a common bond from which we not only derive strength as individuals, but also gather that strength to increase the cohesiveness of the community as a whole.

This change may begin within a group of motorcyclists, but the effects soon spread to other areas of our lives. This helps explain why motorcyclists tend to contribute extraordinary amounts of time and effort to charitable causes, nurturing the less fortunate and sharing with the community.

Balance. Regardless of our DNA, we all carry feminine and masculine psychic characteristics, distinct from our biological gender. Both are essential to a vibrant life. Their dynamic tension must work together seamlessly in balance and harmony, or we lose power.

Historically in our culture, however, we have separated these two energies in men and women to the detriment of our authentic selves. Just as the masculine has been bred out of females, the feminine has been bred out of males. So, we have the phenomenon of yin and yang. Yin, the female energy, is the receptor: dark and in some ways passive. This is the energy we relate to home, nurturing and community, and to being quiet and still. It gives birth to our creativity. Yang, the male energy, is the aggressor, outwardly focused and goal oriented. Its restlessness calls to our desire for adventure. Yang is the spark that ignites our creativity and brings our ideas into being. Both need to be in balance in order to create a whole.

At first glance, a motorcycle is male psychic energy at its finest. It thrusts us forward, it’s forceful, directed, strong and dynamic, and it satisfies our need for adventure. Without a rider, though, without someone to channel its energy, it is powerless and goes nowhere.

Riding fulfills a psychic need for women and gives their masculine energy an outlet. The motorcycle then becomes a receptor of direction, instructions and the attributes of the feminine psyche. The perfect psychic balance of feminine and masculine creates the whole and is the power that moves us forward. Even the relationship between rider and machine is a dynamic balance between feminine and masculine energies.

In spite of the call to our wild nature, we resist going with it. This happens with learning to ride or with many other challenges. But almost any barrier can be overcome if one wants to learn to ride. Ask Roxie Malone, who was told as a child she’d never walk, never mind ride a motorcycle.

Resistance is caused by fear and causes us to do silly things, which in turn drain our energy, make things much more difficult than they need to be and prevent us from progressing. One of my students was so frightened by the stories she’d heard about motorcycles, she was terrified to use the throttle. When she tried to move off, she’d release the clutch, but she couldn’t bring herself to activate the throttle. So, she would stall and lose her balance, which in turn reinforced her fear. I tried to get her to understand using the power would make things much easier, but she never was able to get past the fear.

The potential sources of fear are many.

Cultural training. Men originally wrote the rules for motorcycling and designed the game and the gear. Early women riders had to conquer this domination and defy societal expectations while riding bikes and wearing clothing designed for men. Even now, with greater participation of women, we’re still in the minority and sometimes still need to buck the system.

Opinions of others. Perhaps they’ll think we’re not feminine. Perhaps they’ll think we’re dykes. Families, friends and business associates all have an image of what a motorcyclist is. People regularly tell me, But you don’t look like a biker. But I must look like a biker, because I am one and have been for forty years. But what happens when someone who doesn’t ride wants to ask you on a date? Or what if he does ride and his bike is smaller than yours? Before we can change the way others view us, we must change the way we view ourselves.

Safety concerns. Families and friends worry about our safety, of course. Non-riders seem compelled to relate horror stories, complete with gruesome details of people who have been killed or maimed. But we know the risks and accept them and prepare for them. We overcome our fears and reap incredible rewards.

Dealing with change. A ride is always an adventure to some degree. Things happen when we’re out there. It starts to rain, there’s gravel in a corner, someone cuts us off, a detour diverts our carefully planned route, our GPS stops working. The list is endless, and when we’re motoring down the road on a five-hundred-pound-plus machine, things can unfold in a hurry. We have to have our wits about us at all times. We learn to be prepared for the unexpected.

Physical requirements. Am I strong enough to handle it? Am I capable of learning how to control it? What if I drop it? Potentially disabling thoughts abound, but motorcycling isn’t about manhandling our bikes. When they’re stopped, they’re heavy and awkward to move around.

The smallest street bike starts at around two hundred and eighty pounds and most street bikes are at least four hundred and fifty pounds. When bikes are not under power, we’re no physical match for their weight. Maintaining balance, particularly at slow speeds, is essential to staying upright. Learning to ride entails finding the bike that best suits your riding style, understanding how to control it and making it work for you.

Finding others to ride with. If you don’t know anyone you can ride with, it may take a bit of work and gutsiness, but other riders are out there to be found — probably looking for you. It has been my motorcycle that has led me to the most interesting people and places.

Fear of failure. Admittedly, learning to ride can be daunting. If we fail to try, though, we have already failed. If we’re not