Helped by her brave daughters, this biker mum could follow her passion again
Avid biker Vanashree Mirajkar was helped by her daughters to get back on her bike and ride her passion wholeheartedly.
Sometimes, motherhood stops women from following through with their dreams. For Vanashree Mirajkar, her motherhood turned out to be the boon that led her to follow her passion for riding bikes.
At a young age of 13, her father, an avid rider and lover of bikes, taught Vanashree how to ride it. That first ride marked the beginning of her love affair with riding. In 1995, she bought her first bike, and after several more bikes, she now rides a Harley 1200 Custom across India.
Vanashree Mirajkar with her Harley.
An entrepreneur and mother to two daughters – Durga (13) and Sharayu (17) – Vanashree has clocked nearly 50,000 kilometres on her bike. She has completed over 25 rides, including to the big five cities of southern states in India with the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) members, and practically mapped most parts of the country.
Riding to Vanashree is an expression of freedom — a way to escape the humdrum of everyday life, and a bonding mechanism between friends and strangers.
"Biking is my pleasure, my meditation, my me-time, where I am not someone's wife, mother, or daughter. It is where I find myself and my reason for existence," she says.
"Exploring new places, meeting new people, facing the difficulties and challenges by myself – is what makes me stronger and confident. When I am riding, I feel confident of facing any challenge that is thrown at me,” says the 41-year-old.
However, there was a time when biking was nowhere on her radar. After giving birth to her daughters, as well as managing her business, she was left with no time to ride a bike. When her daughters were old enough, Vanashree and her husband, who also is an avid biker, decided to buy a Harley on the insistence of their younger daughter Durga.
Nearly after a 15-year break, supported by her husband and her daughters, Vanashree was back to riding her bike with small rides. Consequently, she also joined the HOG members in their rides around India.
Riding, taking care of her business, and her daughters who were following their passions, took up Vanashree’s time. Her younger daughter Durga is a national level speed skater, and her elder daughter Sharayu is a mountaineer.
Vanashree (centre) with her daughters Durga (left) and Sharayu (right).
At the age of seven, Vanashree’s younger daughter Durga met with a terrible accident that resulted in a tear between her anus and vagina and required surgery. While the doctor had suggested she could not skate for three months, the little girl’s passion and confidence in herself proved otherwise. In less than two months, she was on the race track and won a gold medal in a state championship.
Similarly, Sharayu, a mountain climber who has been training for over eight years, had landed in Nepal to climb the Everest Base Camp when the country was hit by the deadliest earthquake in 2015. The then 13-year-old Sharayu spent five days stuck in Nepal with her coach and four other kids with little access to food and water.
Her daughters’ resilience and strength brushed off on Vanashree when tragedy struck, where she had to undergo a spinal surgery that would make her bid goodbye to her bike. She had undergone the same surgery 18 years ago, and knew that it was going to be impossible to ride a bike again.
After her younger daughter Durga underwent surgery, she reminded Vanashree of her triumphs, saying, “Mama, do you want me to give up just because I am injured? Do you want me to give up because somebody said I will not be able to do it? I will show you that I will do it.”
Consequently, when the 41-year-old biker had to go under the knife two years after her daughter’s surgery, her daughter was repeating the same words to her. "Why are you trying to give up? Nothing is impossible in this world. You'll be able to do it."
Vanashree came out of the surgery and was able to ride again because of the motivation and courage her daughters vested in her.
“My daughters are my soldiers. They are the ones with whose strength I can win the world,” she adds.
From her first ride to Kolhapur, Maharashtra, to every ride that she takes, her daughters have been her pillars of motivation. Even though she was plagued by how her daughters will manage daily activities when she was on the road, Vanashree’s daughters have assured her that she can continue on her adventures without worrying about them. Her daughters have even made it a tradition to welcome her home in new ways every time she comes back after a ride.
“Being a mother and a biker is a rollercoaster ride — because you need to take both decisions wisely. You cannot be unfair towards your daughters or your biking passion. Sometimes motherhood pulls you back, but when you have daughters that understand your passion, motivate you, and appreciate you, you can follow your passion,” says Vanashree.
Edited by Suman Singh