“Her tyres crushed the road as if they were the strange rules imposed on her. Perceiving her breeze through the path, my heart skipped a beat and advanced to race as if it was racing with her bike. I lost, she won. The race and my heart.”
There are moments in our life when a feat is deeply admired. When a silencer races through the highways, we often stop for a moment, out of fascination, which intensifies upon learning that the braveheart is a lady. In conversation with Czimkhy RV, Kerala’s first female motorbike racer who set the legacy for lovely ladies aspiring for that adrenaline rush as the winds give wings to your dreams… racing.
How did you venture into motorbike racing? What is the story behind it?
I had an intense passion and craze for bikes right from my childhood. I use to go to school on an electric bike which requires no license from my 7th grade. The story started when I started riding, touring to places after all the struggles of convincing mom to get me a bike at around 18 years. I got a Bullet first. I always wanted to try more than just normal riding so I started exploring the internet about academies that teach bike stunting but I found racing academies instead. I was so excited to try an experience track. So I had to lie to mom and I registered and attended a session that was so addictive that I wanted to take it forward as a career.
You are Kerala’s first female motorbike racer; how does it feel to be a pioneer in bike racing for females?
I feel so proud to be the first female from the state to take up racing as a career and I always wish and would support and guide other females who are interested to follow the same. I am really happy to hear that there are a lot many females from Kerala who are attending and participating in National events happening in different cities.
Do you think more women should take up this sport?
In your opinion, is the society limiting women who’d wish to venture into this sport? Definitely, yes if you are interested. Society will mostly oppose and limit women from participating in these kinds of events, but I would say you need to face these situations to really experience what you love. I would always suggest making sure you explain to your parents first. It took me a few days after I attended the first session to make my mom convinced on the safety aspects on track.
Could you tell us more about the motorbike racing community in Kerala?
I know a few of them who are really keen on racing from Kerala and are already participating in track events. And recently an academy was formed by a friend of mine at Palakkad who is training people on track racing.
What does it take to be a motorbike racer?- The expense needed for each training session would cost around 25 to 30K. I have spent around 3 to 4 lakhs on the bike, transportation, and fees before I got the FMSCI Racing License. It takes a lot of hard work and focus to be a professional racer. It requires high fitness and a lot of stamina to attend various race events conducted as it is mostly 6 to 7 laps under the hot sun.
What are the biggest challenges you faced while trying to enter this field? How did you overcome it?
I had a major crash during the final lap of Round 2, TVS Racing 2018 at MMRT Chennai. I had spinal injuries in the crash and It took around 7 months for me to recover. When I went back for training sessions after that I have back pain which made it hard for me to attain the racing posture on the bike and to overcome the fear of crashing again.
You had sustained injuries in a crash. How did you get the courage to get back up on your bike?
My family, friends, and relatives thought that I would stop racing after the crash. But I never wanted to stop, so I started realizing my fears and I started facing them. The lap times I made before became my target, although I was very disappointed with my performances first, I tried and tried till I was almost next to my target. Thanks to all my trainers and close ones who were always supportive.
What are your goals for the future? Where do you see yourself in the next few years?
The goal as any racer in the county is to obtain a National Championship and as an athlete is to represent India at least once.
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