HYDERABAD: Susan Shanthi, a passionate biker, is eagerly waiting, as is everybody, for the pandemic to end so that she can teach biking to more people, especially women. And no, she isn’t just into biking. She’s a full time professional with two young girls whom she’s raising as a single mother.
Her work isn't an usual desk job in a corporate office, the 35-year-old works as constable at Ramgopalpet PS, Hyderabad police. Does that curb her enthusiasm? “No, I plan my duty hours beforehand to pursue bike riding. My colleagues are really supportive in that,” she says.
She rides a Royal Enfield Classic 350 much to the awe of many women, who ride scooters, but don’t fail to compliment Susan. She started learning riding under the guidance of her elder brother. She shares, “I was in Class IX, Railway Girls School, Lalaguda, when I rode Hero Puch and by the time I was in Class X I learnt to ride a Bajaj Boxer.” She has been teaching bike riding to her elder daughter.
“She quite likes it. My husband taunted me when I gave birth to her. Situation worsened after the second baby girl was born. I decided to divorce him and be a single mother.” Her husband had also put restrictions the way she dressed and even forbade her to ride the bike. She refused.
In 2015, she was introduced to the Bikerni group. “Later, I introduced them to my colleagues. We also did a SHE Teams ride. Every Saturday, the group members used to teach bike riding to 250 women before the pandemic began. Now, there are some issues in the group and we are planning to form a new one once the pandemic gets over.” she says.
She lives with her mother, who provides support in raising her children. “Without my family’s encouragement and help I’d not have come this far,” says the recipient of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Excellence Award, 2019. She was given the Trishakti Award a year ago and many other small awards and honours followed later. So what does she want to do after a few years? “I want to open a training school for ladies in honour of my sister, who passed away. Women can learn at any age and they need to know this,” she signs off.