Being the only girl with 4 brothers I was kind of forced to be a tomboy. I had to always compete and be better than them at everything just to get treated as somewhat of an equal with any level of respect. Also, being the only girl raised with 4 brothers I was very sheltered and wasn’t allowed to do anything without them.

Riding a motorcycle is the ultimate expression that as a girl I could do anything.
Fast forward a few years. I am now a young wife and mother so I didn’t get around to getting my motorcycle license until I was 25 years old.
I got my first bike in 2000 after giving birth to the last of my 4 daughters. Unlike most women who stop riding after giving birth, that’s when I really got started. Some people in my life made it a point to try to make me feel guilty about this, but no matter.

I ride because I was told that I couldn’t.

So me being the competitive woman I am I didn’t stop at just riding. I had to take it further. I would cross multiple state lines on a whim and I decided to take up endurance riding. I knew this was for me. So in October, 2014 I entered the Iron Butt Association’s Saddle Sore endurance challenge. This challenge requires you to ride 1000 miles in 24 hours. I completed the task in 18 hours and 19 minutes. I felt like I was on top of the world!

I ride because I can.

It’s therapy for me. It’s the only thing that I have that is just for ME. Being a full-time wife, mother, and employee, I have yet to travel all across the country, but hopefully that will change sooner than later. I’m looking forward to it. I know it’s coming. I think about it every day.

I ride for the love of the ride and for the freedom it provides.