VISAKHAPATNAM: After successfully completing her first solo 1,700-km ride from Vizag to Shirdi in July, the first woman biker from the city, Vaishali Kulkarni More is all set to embark on her second journey from Chennai to Kolkata (1,670 km) in January next year.
These two long rides will serve as a warm-up for her main mission- All- India trip to spread awareness amongst women on genital hygiene and cervical cancer in Mid-2017. Sporting on a 220-CC Bajaj Avenger Cruise bike that she named it as ‘Ellie’ (short form of the French word Esprit Libre meaning free spirit), 49-year old Vaishali hopes to explore new places between Chennai and Kolkata what she calls as the ‘heritage ride’. Under the Gyan Lakshmi project of Rohit Memorial Trust and with an aim to empower women and educate the young girls on a solo bike ride, Vaishali would cover around 10 Smart cities in three to four months. During her all-India ride, she intends to meet various organisations and biking groups to share her experiences and interact with the villagers to sensitise them on various women issues.
“For me, riding is a meditation and it has always been a symbol of empowerment. Solo biking has always been my dream and I will pursue it,” Vaishali, an active member of the all-India biking group, told Express.
Vaishali has been selected as an ambassador for the Gyan Lakshmi project which aims at promotion of healthy living. “A solo lady biker is certainly a powerful icon for spreading awareness among women,” said Meenakshi Anantram, vice-president of the Rohit Memorial Trust.
The route map for all-India tour is being prepared and the support team will move with Vaishali during the journey.
“We have also put forward a proposal to chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the approval for a Smart City tour under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan,” she added.
Height of success
Vaishali More is also a trekker.”I am all set for the Meghalaya trekking expedition from October 31 to November 7. It will be the sixth one for me,” she said. Vaishali, along with the other Youth Hostels Association members from across India, will trek the Khasi Hills (5,000 feet) covering Shillong and Cherrapunji. “My fifth trek in May to the Shivalik Ranges in the Chandrakhani Pass (14,000 feet) was the most adventurous. I had an amazing experience,” she said, adding that in the next trip she would explore the living bridges which are found only in Shillong and the ancient caves in Meghalaya.