BLISS IN FEMALE RIDERS SMILES

Have you ever noticed how anytime a woman is photographed aside, on, or with her motorcycle bliss radiates through her smile? You sense the happiness, you feel it. The emotion comes directly through the camera's lens portraying excitement, pleasure, pride, and her love of the activity. Just have a look at the National Female Ride Day photos!

Here's one photo in particular, a recent favourite I captured of fellow rider friend Andrea Goodman. In the mirror is a happy, enthusiastic face. Even though Andrea is always positive and an incredibly good natured person with a contagious laugh, I caught her "havin' fun feeling" reflection in her own motorcycle mirror. This was just prior to moving off for the yearly WROAR ride (Women Ride Out Against Rape), 10 June Toronto. The photo also shows the background image of another female participant as she heads out to join the main group.

I’m reminded of one of my own photo moments while exiting famed seaside Dutch Zandvoort Circuit spring 1999 —after my very first race!

I had a Ducati 750ssc at the time and this picture taken on 2 May 1999 captured the true "high" I was on. Now so many racing years later, I recollect those 12 laps of sheer adrenaline induced motorsport pleasure!

The smile you see under my helmet was an uncontrolled product of numerous genuine feelings, not a pose for the camera -- the very day I became hooked on racing.

LEAVE LIFTING MOTORCYCLE TRAILERS TO --DOLLY.

I’ve not written for a few weeks as I’ve had an accident and it’s been truly difficult coping.Three weeks ago while preparing to depart for my first Ducati Owners Club (DOCC) track day on Mosport race circuit, I attempted to lift my single axle fully loaded trailer. I needed to lift it and move it back just a bit to manoeuvre the dolly under to move it onto my trailer hitch.

On my third and last give-it-all attempt --- “SNAP …CRACK!” in my back, down I went to my knees, to the ground. It took my breath away, couldn’t catch it, excruciating pain. I thought it must be as when you stub a toe—crazy pain for a few moments and then gone. This wasn’t the case, I could not get up—hard to breath and nauseated.

As I was in an isolated area and alone, I heard the neighbour next yard over so I started yelling for help. He ran over and called 911—within minutes the firetruck followed by an ambulance arrived. I was surrounded by 7 (rather handsome) male paramedics and firemen in wonder about why I had even imagined I could lift SUCH a heavy, too heavy even for an able weightlifting competitor, trailer. The worse part was standing up to get lifted onto their ambulance bed—I was in pain.

So there I was, waiting in emergency on Friday just before lunchtime, with only my car/house keys with me, waiting and waiting to be attended to—the pain ever present. This happened at 11.30am and I finally received an x-ray at 18.45—the entire time I lay in a hospital bed, on my side, in excruciation pain wondering what I had done to myself.

X-ray showed I fractured a bone in my back—the pressure of the trailer against my spine was too much, it actually crushed and fractured the bone on the upper right side, L2 in the Lumbar section. I had to give it 6 weeks to heal. In that moment, all changed for me. Two of my dear friends came to my rescue and took me home. I could not walk very easily so I needed their support. The days that followed found me bed-bound and could only walk with the use of a cane.

Now 3 weeks later, with a visit last week to the orthopaedic surgeon verified the crushed bone L2 and informed that a 6 week period was needed (for the average person) for the bone to heal. No lifting, jumping, running--I understood this as I had such trouble just walking, sitting and standing. I’ve had to cancel track training days, motorcycle instruction --everything.
I’m able to walk now and since last Friday, carefully, drive my car so I am doing better.

It’s very difficult. The only way I’m able to cope is by avoidance—I evade thoughts of riding. Yes, it’s called living with the blinders on. The other coping method is denial, for I believe in 3 weeks the bone will have healed. I’ve been extra focused on enhanced diet, sleep, vitamins and mental power to ensure progressive healing.