Hello all! This is my first time on the Steemit Platform! This is my introduction post here!
Our country is known for its love of the “mother figure”, our Mother India, our Gods, however, when it comes to women succeeding, that often isn’t the case, despite these challenges, We see a change of how women are perceived in our society, women like PT Usha, Mary Kom and Saina Nehwal to name a few are role models to for Indian girls to break the shacked and mold imposed by traditions and conventions.
For me, life hasn’t been a bed of roses. For 22 years I shrugged off people who doubted and underestimated me at every single step and went on to become India’s first ever female bike racer to win both track and off road national titles.
My name is Aishwarya Pissay and this is my story. 
EARLY LIFE
Born and raised in city of Bangalore,
I come from a conservative family where doing anything apart from the conventional things is a taboo. You know, growing up, we are all fed with this utopian idea that we can “be anything that we want to be”, as long as it is part of tradition and then, there is a line drawn in the sand. I am sure many people here can relate to that.
My childhood wasn’t easy, my parents had a difficult marriage and their separation affected me a lot as a child, studies wasn’t my strongest suit and… I failed my 12th grade, the icing on the cake was… I was kicked out of my house by my father since, it would bring dishonor to the family. But that experience taught me a valuable lesson. Resilience. The ability to push aside whatever I am or was going through and focus on what I should do. Regardless of what surface one races on, tarmac, gravel, sand, there are two concepts,
- Look ahead and
- Find your line.
HOW I FOUND WHAT I LOVE.
It all started with riding my brother’s bike and going on weekend trips with friends which helped me discover my love for riding.
Soon after I started traveling a lot on the bike and did a Tv show travelling all the way from Raan of Kutch to Cherrapunji for 24 days.
HOW I DISCOVERED THE ART OF RACING.
Soon enough Seeing my enthusiasm for bikes, a friend suggested that I should take up racing. After a lot of thought, I joined Apex Racing Academy in 2015, but it was just a weekend thing back then. Little did I know then I was capable of pushing myself to a whole new level.
I took part in my first race in February 2016 and failed miserably. That's the day I said to myself I want to improve and get better. I approached Jeeva the coach to help me. And the training started the very next week. It wasn’t all easy with people around me discouraging me saying that I am no good because I was slow learner. But Anil Kumar, who had started the academy, and my coach Jeeva didn’t give up. It did take some time, but we got there eventually.
LIFE CHANGING RACE.
Coach Vishwas helped me get sponsorship and trained me for my first rally Dakshin Dare which was the springboard upon which I built my career to where I am now, which has helped me grow as a track and off-road rider.
REPRESTING INDIA.
I represented India in the Asia Road Racing Cup in Taiwan and Thailand in 2016. We raced scooters in Taiwan and it was a huge challenge for me as I had never raced scooters. But watching others and asking questions, I got the hang of it. It was a big step for me, personally and professionally. India finished fourth in Taiwan and third in Thailand where we rode the Underbone 150cc bike. Those were proud moments for me and I realized I could achieve much more if I do not under-estimate myself.
THE SECOND CHANCE.
I think, luck played a huge part in my career this year. The 2017 selection process for rally sponsorship had been scheduled and I lost by 2 seconds.
My entire dream of doing the upcoming 18 races was shattered and I didn’t know what I would do. It was a low point in my life as I saw my hopes go up in smoke. All I could visualize was I on the bike, racing, and winning. And that was when the Universe gave me a second chance!
TVS Racing decided to sponsor two riders instead of one! I told myself that day I want to be a better version of myself and I started spending extra time at the gym “THE OUTFIT” which specializes in functional training and which helped me prepare physically and mentally.
LIFE CHANGING ACCIDENT.
All the gym work and moral support from my peers helped me survive and overcome what otherwise could have been a career-threatening injury as I broke my right collar bone in an accident .
It was 12 races into the season and I had one hand on the championship trophy when I suffered the injury, barely a week before the race. At that point, my dreams of winning the championship and conquering the Himalayas lay shattered. The doctor said it was a dislocated broken collar bone and advised surgery.
Eventually, i had a piece of my eventual trophy in my collar bone with seven screws to keep it there!
After the crash, the only thing running in my mind was the race next week. I was not sure how I would be able to handle the race weekend with a right hand that had no strength and mobility. I gritted my teeth and went through a few sessions of physiotherapy by Dr.Gladson, but I was far from being fully fit during the race weekend. I somehow managed to score enough points to seal the championship.
WHAT RACING IS FOR ME.
Motorcycle racing is a funny old game. It is a game of “I can go faster than you” amplified to the nth degree, where grown men are risking life and limb for EGO.
Racing, is all about resilience. On a track, it goes up to 40 degrees, on a rally like the raid de Himalaya it goes down to -20 and god forbid I have to complain as a girl. I realized that whatever happened in my life was tough lessons in resilience, facing harsh conditions, the glass ceiling and whatever else life throws at me…
Being a professional racer is a lot like riding on Indian roads in the rain, you don’t know when a small puddle can be a deep ditch.
CONCLUSION
Growing up in this sport, I didn’t have someone to look up to. But as I see myself grow in this sport, I see where I am and where I want to be, and what I want to achieve, I aspire to inspire a new generation of young girls to race.
Life is racing, racing is life. whatever comes my way, physical injuries, harsh words, personal struggles, I know there is two things I am great at, looking ahead and finding my line. This is what racing is all about.
I do not see myself merely surviving in this sport, but thriving in it. And I plan to do it with a lot of passion, skill, dedication and style.
For me, life’s a question, and racing has been the answer.
And finally, it will satisfy me most if I can not only erase that line drawn in the sand, but also leave a footprint.
