The Biker Mom – Vaishali More

Motherhood is the celebration of womanhood. Isn’t it? Strengthened by love, trust and years of shared laughter, worries, smiles and tears, the bond between a mother and her child is unexplainable. On the eve of Mother’s day,  Yo! Vizag decided to celebrate by interacting with a varied bunch of lovely ladies, who mastered the dynamics of life, in addition to being a mother. We decided to share the stories of a few mum-child duos, whose dynamics are truly inspiring.

‘Vaishali More’, a 48-year-old mother from the city who is also a passionate biker, Pinkathon ambassador, and Rotary club member, revisited her much treasured teenage years, when asked about how ‘vrooming away’ started off. She recalls, “All thanks to my best friend who pushed me into this sport when I was just 17; back in the day when a girl doing the biking thing was considered taboo, especially since I hail from a typical Brahmin family.” Having emerged victorious in many dirt biking championships, Vaishali is no less than a bundle of talent. But she had to put the brakes on her biking spree when she got married in the 80’s. “I accepted the responsibility of a wife and a mother with open arms. Motherhood is invigorating and most relaxing. I had no regrets regarding my biking when I was super busy raising my son. He is my priority and will be so forever. Today, my son is all grown up and rendering his services to the merchant navy. He pushed me to pursue my passion for biking. It was his unwavering support, which made me a better mother”, she  replies beaming with motherly pride.  A geography teacher by profession, More, is on a roll since she took voluntary retirement from her profession to pursue her long abandoned passion. Personifying the audacity of hope, Vaishali rekindled her love for whizzing away even after a long pause of two decades. She is very fond of her 220 CC Bajaj Avenger Cruise- ‘Ellie’ (that’s what she addresses her bike as, which meant ‘free spirit’ derived from a French word Esprit Libre). She exemplifies womanhood when she says, “Biking is not gender based and I want to break all the stereotypes related to women being just the pillion riders and not the ‘actual riders’. I want to spread awareness about cervical cancer, which is quite prevalent. I’ll bike to as many places as possible to spread the word,” she says as she explains how she uses her passion for a cause. As the conversation moves on, her eyes go all glittery with pride while talking about her sunshine, “I transform into a kid when my son is around. We believe in being free, frank and enjoying ourselves immensely while sticking to our self-made rules”. My son is my best friend. He’s my best supporter and the coolest to hang out with,” she says. Circling back to her adventures, she continues, “Recently we did a course in kayaking at Mandapam in Tamil Nadu, learnt advanced river rafting in Rishikesh and did a paragliding stunt in Solang Valley in Himachal Pradesh.”  The sheer will and spirit of challenge embodied by this mum is awe-inspiring!

Letter by his son – Sahil

Dear Mum,
You are my real life superwoman. You are my hero. Personification? You just zoom by on a bike like a dream. You taught me how to dream and how hard work can make my dreams come true. I grew up watching the things you do, and how you seem to conquer the impossible. Your energy is infectious maa. You just radiate your talent and youthfulness to people around you even in your late forties. You are a true inspiration to me. You are my walking encyclopaedia. Say it, and you know it! You gave up your dreams to be with the family. You invested all your time in shaping my career and life. It’s time you enjoy life to the fullest. It’s like you are back in your twenties when I watch you whizz away on your machine. How many women can do that?! While you have been a super mom all your life, now it’s my turn to reciprocate what all you have done for me. Let’s do more adventures which are 100% fun, motivation and guidance. Let’s rock, my best friend!