Girl next door to lead Himalayan ride

Pune: Urvashi Patole is quite accustomed to gruelling tasks, yet for her latest challenge she had to undergo special training. After all, leading the first-ever, 2,200 km long Himalayan Odyssey-Women (HO-W), Royal Enfield's premier riding event for women, is no child's play.
Urvashi will co-lead the HO-W ride alongside Sarah Kashyap, who is the first woman to finish the Raid De Himalaya rally on a motorcycle.
Even as she is preparing for the rugged ride, she is aware that it isn't easy to lead such a journey. Urvashi was in Ooty, Tamil Nadu recently to undergo training for the ride, first aid, self-defence, as well as reactions to extreme situations.
"The terrain is treacherous and has many challenges. So the training has prepared me to lead the 20 women through all conditions," she explained. The 28-year-old social media analyst-turned-chief marketing officer at a motorcycle gear store began her stunting journey when she owned a gearless scooter.
After fellow motorcyclists saw her skills, they lent her their motorcycle to perform stunts. On one such occasion, she ended up falling and breaking her wrist. "That is how my parents found out about my interest in bikes. They bought me a 125-cc motorcycle to be gin with and in the process I ended up befriending a handful of other female riders. But back then, women stunters faced much ridicule," Urvashi recalls.
During a company-sponsored test ride in 2010, Urvashi met track racer Chithra Priya and decided to set up a pan-India association for female riders. "The Bikerni came to be with 11 members on our social media page in January 2011. It grew to 40 members within six months and has since notched up over 1,000 members," she stated. In fact, women from Canada, Nepal and Qatar have also approached the association, looking to establish chapters in their respective countries.
In September 2011, Urvashi led the first-ever, 10-women expedition to Nubra Valley and Ladakh and created a record while doing so. This was also when Bikerni's association with Royal Enfield was established. "The association has ensured that women are respected as riders and not `showpieces'. I am very proud of this achievement," she smiled.
Over the past three years, Urvashi has won all the dirt races that she has participated in. She has also been featured on a six-episode TV series on women bikers.
Apart from Urvashi, other riders participating from the city include Meghana Wavhal, Prerna Shinde, and Sharvari Manakwad.