The Women Riders World Relay - Riders Q & A

As the editor of a newspaper that sponsors a lot of events, there are always stories to print and that's wonderful, but few stories have touched my heart quite the way the Women Riders World Relay has.

Women from around the globe are joining hands to help empower other women and educate the manufacturer as to the size of the female audience and what their needs in gear and motorcycles truly is.

So as their sponsor I decided to do a little Q & A with a few of these ladies...

Name: Roberta Orbach (Photo credit to Roberta for the WRWR Santa Fe Photo above)

What Leg or Ripple Relay were you part of? 

1. Albuquerque-Los Alamos-Santa Fe New Mexico

What dates did you participate in the WRWR? 

1. April 16

What do you ride?

1. 2015 Kawasaki Versys 650

What is one thing you want other women to know about the Relay?

1. It is exhilarating, freeing, and an awareness that you are not alone pervades you body.

What was the single most important thing you took away from participating in the Relay? 

1. New friendships!

What advice would you give riders wanting to participate in the WRWR or a Ripple Ride? 

1. Do it with abandon.

Name: Angela Robinson (Photo Credit Angela Robinson - of herself with the coin)

What Leg or Ripple Relay were you part of? 

A. Kelowna to Nakusp

What dates did you participate? 

A. June 1st

What do you ride?  

A. 2018 Kawasaki VulcanS 650

What is one thing you want other women to know about the Relay?

A. It's fun. Eye opening to the amount of women riders.

There are people from all walks of life and backgrounds.

What was the single most important thing you took away from participating in the Relay? 

A. That I can do it. I have had my license for 11yearsish. 

The most I've ridden in a day was about 200km. 

(Mostly because I didn't trust the bikes I had to go much further.) 

I ride pretty much every day but on June 1st I road over 550km.

What advice would you give riders wanting to participate in the WRWR or a Ripple Ride? 

Just  get out and DO IT! See what happens.

It's wonderful to see so many ladies riding these days, I am grateful to play a role in this movement!

Follow the ladies on the WRWR or the Ripple Relays by visiting:  womenridersworldrelay.com 

You can find them on Facebook too!!!

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider

The Women Riders World Relay + International Women's Day

As I sit here at 58 years old, I can look back at the life I have lead to this point and see the hundreds and thousands of tiny steps that I and countless of other women before me took to get where we are today. 

One personal journey became a collective journey that started at the beginning of time.

There have always been strong, independent women, all throughout the ages.

Catherine the Great, Joan of Arc, Cleopatra, Madame Curie, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Sacagawea, Nellie Bly, Bessie Coleman, Indra Gandhi and so, so many more. 

When I read about many of these women in high school, it was from the context of history in war, or science or computing, but never was it from the context of HOW or WHY did these women manage to be accepted in a work world of predominantly males and become so revered for their skills and knowledge? 

HOW and WHY were they able to do what other women seemingly felt unable to do?

They were all trailblazers with two things in common; 

They didn't think or act like other women of their day.

I learned something in high school, reading their stories, and that something was reinforced by my father.  

He always told me that if I wanted something bad enough I would find a way to go over, around or under any obstacle to make it happen.  "All you have to do is have a fire in your belly and a determined heart and mind. There may be some things that are physically impossible for you to do that a male counterpart can, but there are in many cases tools that will aide you, you just need to be smart enough to use them."

And truth be told, as I look back now, the only person who has EVER truly held me back in anything was me.

Whenever I have wanted something bad enough, put my imagination, skills, heart and soul to work, I have succeeded at anything I truly wanted to do.

Did I face discrimination? Yes. 

Did men rape and bully me? Yes.

Did women bully me? Yes. 

Did women act petty and catty and try to rip me down? Yes.

Did men threaten me that if I didn't sleep with them I'd lose my job? Yes.

Did any of those things change me? 

YES - they strengthened my resolve, they helped me find my self worth, find my backbone and learn to defend myself and stand up for myself.

I lived in a family, that like many, was very dysfunctional but the dysfunction was hidden behind closed doors, always whispered about, but never brought out in the open.  My life became a series of contradictions, my father telling me I could be or do anything I set my mind to and my alcoholic mother beating me unmercifully.  There were girls and boys in my school that were such bullies, that between them and the crap with my mother and father that I was constantly being involved in, I was on nerve pills and tranquilizers by the time I was 16. 

When I first left home at 18 I was partying a lot, I finally settled down a lot by 19 and by 23 was living in the US, and sadly in a really dysfunctional marriage.

When I left my ex husband I was very ill, in fact, I spent 9 months in hospital with doctors working to save my life. During that time my daughter was kidnapped by her father from my mother's home where alcohol was still a big problem and I was helpless to protect her or stop any of it.  When two and a half years later she finally came home to live with me at not quite four years old, we started counselling. 

It was there, trying to help her, to give her better tools and skills than I had been given, that I learned how to help myself. Since those days as a young 28 year old women, I have learned about the universal laws which govern everything in our lives and this includes the Law of Attraction.

What you give your focus, attention and energy to, is what you will attract to you. 

Learning to live by these laws has become my mission in life!

If there was one thing I would wish for young girls on their journey to womanhood, it would be for them to learn meditation at a young age.  

To learn how to turn that negative chatter in our heads off and find relief.  I would also love for them to learn early on that they are only responsible for their reactions to how others treat them.

If we as parents, as influencers in children's lives could simply give them the skills to believe in their own dreams and the tools to reach for those dreams, image, how much faster than us, that our girls can become the strong, loving, capable, joyous, balanced, happy people they deserve to be.

For those of you ladies who ride, there is a world wide Women's Motorcycle Relay Ride happening now.  

If you want to see joyous, empowered, strong and loving women in motion, join them on Facebook: 

WRWR - Women Riders World Relay.  

AND IF YOU CAN -  support this amazing world wide statement by riding in the relay, sponsoring it or simply cheering them on! 

If you are blessed enough to live where you can be riding today, PLEASE remember to 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 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 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.