Biker creates racing history

What began as a joy ride at the young age of 17 soon became a passion for Bengaluru girl Shreya Sunder Iyer. Shreya is now geared up to take a plunge into the world of motorsports that is widely dominated by men.

 “It almost came naturally to me. I just took a friend’s motorcycle for a ride. I had no coaching or anything. Since then I’ve been hooked to it. And now there are so many women competing in different racing events. I hope I’m able to break the stereotype that racing is meant only for men,” says an excited Shreya.

With national champion riders K.P. Arvind, R. Nataraj and A.W. Tanveer in their ranks, TVS Racing made history on Tuesday by signing up their first woman rider for the upcoming Indian National Rally Championship for two wheelers, to be flagged off in Bengaluru on May 1.

“This is the most exciting thing that has happened in my life. This will be the first time I will be riding competitively. I’ve been riding a lot in the past. Glad all that effort has got me here,” says Shreya, who is also a trained classical singer and a freelance architect.

Two summers ago, the 24-year-old became the first Indian woman rider to participate in the Dubai Sand Dunes on a KTM 450.

“I have traveled extensively in the South and the North, and in the Himalayas. It is mainly off-roading and cross-country,” adds Shreya, a Design and Management graduate from Mount Carmel College.

For the pleasure of riding, Shreya loves to explore the off-road trails in Kalasa. “I keep going there. It’s almost a second home to me,” she says.

She adds that initially it was a tough task convincing her parents. “They were concerned about the safety factor. I sat them down and talked them through it. For me, motorcycling is liberating. I wouldn’t like it if someone curbed that.”

With her maiden season a few days away, Shreya will be riding a custom modified TVS Apache RTR 200 in Class B (200cc) of the INRC. “I’m very passionate about racing and it’s great that I am able to do that professionally now. The training has been good so far and I intend to give it my best,” says Shreya, who is spending more than five hours on the dirt track.

“My friends in racing are my role models and inspiration. They are the ones who I look up to. You don’t need to look for people to get inspired. There are people around to be inspired,” she signs off.