BIG LIVES and the women who live them! Meet Liz Jansen

Leader, visionary, life & business coach, rider trainer, writer, author; Liz Jansen is all of these things and so much more!

At 61 years old this coming May, Liz who has been riding since age 16, has had a life and career that many look at with awe.

I am one of those women who is inspired by Liz.

Liz started off her professional life as an RN, and when a position in Occupational Health opened up she took it.  That position eventually translated into a Human Resources career, and it is there where she learned and mastered many skills that would one day fuel a new career path. She enjoyed the challenges and issues the position offered, but over time she began to feel restless and unfulfilled.

Liz's marriage had changed too, or as she reflects, maybe it was her perception of it that change, either way between home and career, she found that her soul felt empty.

Having come from a Mennonite background, her spirituality is strong and as she began to look inward for the answers she sought, she found that one thing kept coming back to her time and time again.  "Our lives cannot be in balance until we learn what purpose it is we are here on the earth to fulfill."

She realized that the restlessness, the emptiness she felt, was caused by the fact that her purpose was calling her. And she decided to go and meet it.

Within a span of 8 months she left her job and her husband and then embarked on a two month motorcycle trip across North America.  Liz expressed that it was as if her Honda Spirit had helped her reclaim her soul. It was not just that Honda Spirit and the adventure or the time on the road that inspired her, Liz began putting together the connection between motorcycle and spirituality, motorcycle and empowerment, motorcycle and mental strength and she wanted others to learn the power of that motorcycle and we aren't talking horsepower.

When she returned from that trip, Liz realized she had been living a life that was filled with a false sense of security and decided to invest some time and energy on herself.

She knew what her purpose was, and now she had to figure out how to fulfill that purpose.

She founded Trillium Motorcycle Tours & Events, hired a personal coach and began refining herself and her skills.

Today Liz is the author of 14 books/Ebooks, a life and business coach and a senior motorcycle instructor at Humber College.  She served on the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada board as a board member and chair person from 2006 to 2014 and she has facilitated many events for women in motorcycling.

A gifted speaker, Liz loves coaching be it one on one or in large groups. She imparts the wisdom of the road to her audience and teaches them to embrace the teachings of the motorcycle.


Liz's series of books called "Life Lessons from Motorcycles: Where the Road Meets Spirit" are the foundation for her training courses; How to Stop Dreaming and Start Doing", but she is probably best known as the author of "Women, Motorcycles and the Road to Empowerment"

Liz suffered a crash on a gravel road last fall. She was at the very beginning of what was to be a one year trip to South America. On that fateful day she was planning on visiting Blackfoot Crossing and Namaka in Southern Alberta. She wanted to visit the farming community her dad had grown up in.

Her trip to South America was to be a part of a journey to learn more about indigenous peoples and

their cultures.  When the crash happened, Liz, a highly experienced rider knew this was a message, that something about her expectations for this trip were out of balance.  She expressed that the crash has been a blessing in disguise for it has forced her to be still and introspective and she's had time to absorb all of the kindness and blessings others offered to her during her convalescence. She needed to slow down, take time for herself and re-examine things. She refers to her crash as a "Course Correction".

Her shoulder which was severely injured is healing but may require a further surgery before she is able to gain full mobility in it.

BUT

Her soul is becoming restless for her motorcycle, in over 45 years of riding she has only ever spent 2 years of her life without a bike.  Her motorcycle is truly her conduit, it keeps her focused and centred and she realizes how important that is in her life.

"The true beauty of motorcycles, as any rider knows, is that they connect you with Spirit and ultimately with yourself," says Liz and she should know because she has traversed hundreds of thousands of miles by motorcycle.

In spite of the course correction she finds herself on, Liz says life has never been better and that she loves being in service to others, doing the work that fills her soul, that allows her to use her unique gifts to empower other people to truly live their lives.

"There is nothing more rewarding in the world than knowing your gifts and talents are of benefit to others" says Liz. 

Her advice to everyone who feels like they aren't living the life they were meant to?

"We become aware of our strengths and gifts by pushing out of our comfort zone. So get out of your comfort zone and find out who you really are and what you are truly capable of!"

Liz is another inspiring example of a woman who is living a BIG LIFE!

Visit her web site to find out more about Liz and the wisdom she has to share: http://lizjansen.com

If you are blessed to be living where you can ride, please ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you!

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider








Disclaimer:
All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

BIG LIVES and the women who live them! Meet Lisa Brouwer

Lisa Brouwer of Sioux Falls South Dakota shared with me her story recently.

It is another story of a career banker who gave up corporate America and the illusion of security to do something that filled her soul while making a living. She wanted to truly enjoy her job and feel that she was giving back, contributing something worth while in the world.

Lisa was what she called a "Guilty Mom".  Having her first child at 30, she was in the pinnacle of her career with awards and rewards. BUT - She felt guilty about the time she was away from her kids, working, always working.

She realized that she was chasing the wrong success and she recognized how her life had shifted after she had kids. But she had missed the shift and that caused the guilty feelings.

Lisa told me the story of her college professor who had inspired her to be a public speaker.

She had stuffed that inspiration to the back of her mind, and many years later, she had a dream about that conversation and it reawaken in her, the dream of being a public speaker.

Lisa is a gal who, to use her own words, does not want to live a life of regret and so, she ditched a 21 year career and took courses and became a John Maxwell coach, a writer and a motorcycle safety trainer.

She spoke of the fear and the courage it took to leave the security of a career where she had attained a certain level of success, where people knew and respected her.

But, she is so happy that she did and she has NO REGRETS.

She knew she had to shift her ideas about what success was and attributes some of the mental strength and courage that it took to step out of her comfort zone to being a rider!

She expressed that getting on a motorcycle is one way that you can prove to yourself that, "Yes I can do this".

Among the many courses and coaching sessions she offers, the motivational speaking and coaching seminars she runs for women who ride, offer women an insight on how to take the lessons of inner courage and strength that riding offers and use it in their lives as mothers, care givers, wives, friends, employees and bosses.


"That courage, that strength translates into every aspect of your lives if you allow it to," says Lisa.
"Sharpening our skills, growing, learning, these are things that are critical to all of our lives, and motorcycling is no different from being a mom or a business owner in that regard!"

Lisa wants to encourage other women to embrace their dreams, fill their souls, fuel their lives.

She also talks about learning how to take stock, taking a pause and learning how to really listen to what your soul is trying to tell you.

"Don't stuff them, (your dreams) away in some dark recess of your mind.

Bring them out into the daylight, examine them and if the pull is still there, do something about it. Growth; the attainment of knowledge, skill, is a life long journey," says Lisa, "your either busy living or your busy dying."

Lisa Brouwer is a woman with a message!

Through her training as a John Maxwell coach, Lisa is sharing the message of empowerment and Full Throttle Living.


I deeply enjoyed getting to know Lisa on a more personal level.
She is; dynamic, open, approachable and genuine!

My interview with Liz Jansen of Ontario Canada is next, and I look forward to sharing her story with you!

Have a great day and please, if you are blessed to live where you can be riding today, remember to ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you!

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider




Disclaimer:
All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

BIG LIVES and the women who live them! Meet Laurie Latham

Laurie Latham is a former motor cop and police detective who is now the chief instructor and owner of Arizona's Play It Safe Defence company.

Before she founded her company, one that teaches women and children the art of self defence, Laurie spent 5 years as a motor cop until she suffered a bad work related crash.

She didn't want to get back on a bike, it held no appeal to her, the bike was nothing more than a tool of the trade of being a police officer.

But things changed and today Laurie is back riding and enjoying it immensely. She attributes the change in her thinking to being around other women who ride. Listening to their stories of the places they visit, the way the wind and their motorcycle soothes their soul and makes them feel, created a desire to ride again, this time for pleasure.



During her time as a police officer and later as a detective, Laurie trained a lot of officers in self defence and when she retired from the force, she decided to start instructing women and children on the art of self defence.

Her motivations? The statistics she lists on her web site:

According to the U.S. Dept. of Justice one out of every four women will be attacked or raped in her lifetime. Look at these alarming statistics:

• 83% of rape victims are between the ages of 12 years and 25 years of age.
• 90% of women assaulted knew their assailant.
• 25% of college women surveyed are victims of rape or attempted rape.
• 85% of rapes on campuses are acquaintance/date rapes and most happen in the first three months of college.
• 90% of all campus rapes involve alcohol.
• Women who resist are twice as likely to escape injury as others. According to the Women’s Self Defense Institute, an analysis of 3,000 actual assaults showed that half of the attackers fled from a woman who was willing to resist! The key, however, is to learn how to effectively resist.

Her training techniques are far from conventional.

In her courses for women, she teaches them how to use weapons, in her mind every woman should know how to handle a weapon. She told me a number of stories of women; some who died because they were too afraid to use a weapon that their assailant had dropped or that was within arms reach, and of others who, although they did not shoot on a regular basis, defended themselves successfully because they were not afraid to pick up a weapon.  She says that learning to use a weapon, to know what it feels like helps to remove a psychological barrier.

"Women who know how to use a weapon are less likely to freeze up during a confrontation and that helps many of them to extricate themselves from a potentially deadly situation." said Laurie.

Laurie also teaches situational awareness and a host of other self defence strategies and techniques.

Her courses for children include role playing where children are taught about bullies, who they are and what they look for in a potential victim and how to talk to them and react to them. All  courses are taught at age appropriate levels.

As a police officer Laurie saw the best and the worst in people.
She is a champion for the underdog. She wants to share her knowledge to ensure that as many people as she can touch are given the tools they need to stay safe.

Laurie is a level headed, big hearted woman who is living out the best times of her life and helping others to do the same.

You can find out more about Laurie Latham and her company Arizona Play it Safe Defence by visiting: azplayitsafedefense.com

I hope you are enjoying this series on BIG LIVES and the women who live them.

I know how much I am enjoying writing them.

Have a fabulous day and if you are blessed enough to live where you can be riding your motorcycle, please ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Belt Drive Betty,
Editor & Rider








Disclaimer:
All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

BIG LIVES and the women who live them! Meet Kate MacEachern

In 2005 a single mom with a one year old little boy joined the military.

She successfully finished all training and was posted to CFB Edmonton.

In 2007 she experienced "traumatic injury" while in training on the base.  A closed head trauma & significant spinal cord damage that left her with seizures and a subsequent stroke 9 weeks later. She was told at the time, that due to the extent and nature of the damage to her brain and body that her career would be over. The chance of ever regaining mobility and full function was minimal at best.

She walked out of the hospital within weeks of the surgeon and doctors speaking those words. The day she tried to speak with an intubation tube down in her throat is the day she learned what FIGHT really meant.

At the time, she had to surrender her drivers license and her life. 

"With seizures I wasn't allowed to drive. So much of my life was now "my new normal" things got hard. With my recovery, I would get so close to the time period needed to be re licensed and relapse. So close but so far away. I wanted to quit. But I didn't. I am a Leopard tank driver by trade, if I couldn't drive, I was nothing.  My unit and my family never gave up on me. My Dad never gave up. " says Kate

In 2010 she was finally cleared medically on the physical injuries. She could finally return to a fighting Squadron, get her license back and carry on.

"After the accident I had saved a little money. I wasn't driving or paying for gas so, I could squirrel away a little. I had a very specific goal in mind. I never gave up.

Years ago, My Dad had given up his motorcycle due to the financial obligations of being a father. He always missed it. You could see it in his eyes when you would hear the vibration of a bike coming up the road. He's the type of man that just belongs on a bike. It just fits. Dad gave up so much for us but he would never ask nor attempt to get another. Something always got in the way.

So in December, I flew home from Alberta and I bought my Dad and I motorcycles.  He was in NS, I was in Alberta. We competed to the minute as to who was going to get their licence back first. Our course was running the same time and days but...due to the time change he technically got his first. He still hasn't let me live that one down!"

Although this was an amazing period in her life, later that year she was diagnosed with PTSD. 
She went into a denial period. A heavy period of denial.

"I wanted to put my head in the sand and just ignore the world. Fade into a dark wall and disappear. Between anxiety, depression, trigger episodes... I was not doing well at all. The bike though, it gave me freedom. Wind therapy. It hurt, and it was a horrible experience but I didn't give up. It's not in my blood. That being said though, I was tired of fighting. Tired of getting one step ahead and falling three behind. I recognized that I wasn't alone. Many others faced this demon. I needed to do something." said Kate

In 2012 that "something" was born. It is called "The long way home". A physical journey to show people what it looks like to come "home" after injury.

Her goal was to bring as many soldiers "home" as she could. Help them heal, to protect her brothers and sisters and show them...they are never alone.

In June of that year she walked from CFB Gagetown to her hometown of Antigonish NS, 576km. 
Hit with hail, bleeding feet, exposed bone, dehydration... She had no idea what she was doing...but she could sleep at night knowing she was at least trying.

She and her team raised 20 thousand dollars for their benefactor - Soldier On

Kate faced criticism and met it head on:

In 2013, Kate was forced to make a decision about her military career - either stay in uniform or give it up to continue with her personal mission to change the way people view PTSD.
She chose her personal mission - she was determined to make a difference even if it was only for one person.

In 2013 she decided to take the lessons she had learned and apply them to something bigger. 
She wanted to incorporate more people. 

"It's not just soldiers that survive PTSD. Nobody is exempt." said Kate

So, she put her boots and ruck on once again. This time she left from Cape Breton NS and walked 1876 kms to Ottawa Ontario in support of Military Minds.

"I'll be honest, I wanted to quit a few times, but I never gave up.

Three amazing things happened that year though. I was patched in with 2CAV Dunkirk, but I had to sell my bike. I wanted desperately to buy a house, a forever home for my son and I, so the "wants" had to go and the "needs" were the focus.

It killed me, but I finally understand why dad had that look in his eye around bikes.

It gets in your blood. 

Someday I'll have another. Might not be anytime soon but...
I won't give up. Bikers are my life and have always been a part of my life. They are my brothers and sisters."

Now I ride behind trusted friends and family - I miss the wind therapy that much. It's not the same as riding my own, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

In 2015, Kate will cross the entirety of western Canada. Over 3000 Kms in 85 days In support of all who have chosen to survive PTSD.   She leaves from Nipawin Saskatchewan the founding home of the Wounded Warriors Weekend and ends her journey in Chilliwack BC arriving in time for the Wounded Warriors Weekend events there.

JP Cormier, singer songwriter responsible for the hit song "Hometown Battlefield" has written a song called "The Long Way Home" in honour of Kate and Her Walk - the LONG WAY HOME.

Kate has set not one, but two World Records for the Heavy March.

Her walk this year will mean that she has traversed all of Canada with a 45 pound rucksack on her back. That's no small feat!

She has touched thousands of lives and has helped so many people.

 "I walk for all of us with PTSD. The 45 lb pack on my back, it's not just my burden, it's all of ours. I carry it to show people what that looks like. The journey home. The long way Home." says Kate.

An amazing woman of courage and strength, Kate Mac (as we who are blessed to call her friend, call her) is an inspiration, a breath of fresh air! A gorgeous woman inside and out, one built with a determination that few can equal.

She is a woman who lives a VERY BIG LIFE!

Join Kate's Facebook Page - The Long Way Home

Have a wonderful day, and if you are blessed to live where you can ride, please ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

BIG LIVES and the women who live them! Meet Terri Collier

In advance of International Female Ride Day in May, I thought I'd start doing a series of articles on some of the amazing women in the riding world that I have had the pleasure of meeting face to face or just interviewing over the phone.

I have dubbed this series of articles "BIG LIVES and the Women who live them!"

These are very talented and incredibly generous of spirit women who are doing some amazing things, over coming some herculean challenges and life situations and who are living life on their terms.

Over the next few days and weeks ahead, I am going to give you a glimpse into what it is that makes these women so special.

BIG LIVES and the women who live them! Meet Terri Collier

The first lady I want to introduce you to is Terri Collier of Thunder Roads Magazine of Oklahoma & Arkansas.

Terri is a hard core rider who quit a 25 year career in banking, even though she was a vice president!

She had had enough of the pressure, the hours and the rat race of the corporate world.

She went through a heart wrenching divorce, a horrific head on automobile crash and is also a recovering alcoholic.




In 2008 Terri bought Thunder Roads Magazine; Oklahoma & Arkansas and became the editor in chief.

Terri has loved riding all of her life.  Her story is typical of so many. She started out on dirt bikes as a kid. Her father was an oval track racer and her family owned a race track so sweat, grease and wrenching are something she's very comfortable with. And so becoming the editor of a motorcycling magazine was not as big of a leap as one might think.

She prefers her new office where she can get into the zen rhythm of the road, meet others of like mind and make an impact in her community in ways she could never do while tied to the corporate world.

Today she owns a pair of bikes - a 2007 Big Dog chopper named Lola and a 2014 Street Glide Special and she loves to ride hard.

Terri is active in her community and speaks at events like the Oklahoma State University's Design, Housing & Merchandising seminars and volunteering for Special Olympics.

Terri is constantly espousing the benefits of motorcycle tourism and how it can help to grow rural businesses at many Chamber of Commerce and other business gatherings. She also loves to empower other women to grab life by the bars and fulfill their dreams.

Through her magazine, Terri is able to give back to a community that she loves, the riding community. She gets out to as many events as she can, sponsoring a ton of them with free advertising and articles.
She attributes much of the success of her magazine to the terrific team that makes up Thunder Roads Oklahoma & Arkansas.  "You need a great team if you are going to do great things," says Terri.

As Terri also said to me; "Unless you are in service to others, your life never feels full, it feels empty and hollow. I love giving back, making a difference".

She is strong willed, determined, passionate and very generous of heart and spirit.

As a recovering alcoholic with 10.5 years of sobriety, Terri has come to understand that she can overcome pretty much anything, and has, with the help and love of God and she says that life is better than she had ever dreamed it could be!

You can learn more about Thunder Roads Oklahoma & Arkansas here:
www.thunderroadsoklahoma.com

Next up will be an amazing little gal from Antigonish, Nova Scotia who has overcome some huge challenges to live a life that is so big that...well....I won't give it away, you can read all about her tomorrow!

Have a great day and if you are fortunate enough to live where you can be riding, PLEASE, ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider





Disclaimer:
All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.