Riding to prove

It happened 60 km after Shyni Rajkumar started riding her Himalayan from Bengaluru. There was an accident and a man had been run over. She saw death just minutes after starting a challenge she had badly wanted to take up — the BaPuBa challenge, an Indian version of the Iron Butt challenge, organised by Indian Endurance Riders Association.

Shyni had to ride at least 1,610 km in 24 hours, from Bengaluru to Pune and back to Bengaluru. But witnessing the accident brought on a negative feeling that worsened when some time later, her phone got switched off. Her charger wouldn’t work and she got lost for a while. But 23 hours later — on February 25 — she had come back to where she started, finishing 1,700 km, a proud woman rider from Kerala, who set out to prove many skeptics wrong.

“The idea came to me when once a man asked me if I could ride a thousand kilometers without sleeping. And then I thought, if I could take up such a challenge, why not add another achievement to my career as a rider,” says Shyni, days after the challenge, back to Thiruvananthapuram now. She had been known for her biking adventures and Bullet clubs, training many girls to ride across the state. “When this man questioned me, it was a challenge to all women. I wanted to prove that women could do this. And I am one of the two women who took it up this time, among 42 riders. The other rider is Jeena Thomas,” she adds.

Shyni didn’t even eat properly in all of those 24 hours. There was only water and a couple of chocolate bars. She was afraid to spend more time on food or rest. “Only when I got too sleepy, I would park my bike on the side of the road and sleep on it for a few minutes. I would then wake up alert to ride again.” She also had about 12 breaks at petrol pumps, to refresh herself.

Now that it’s over, Shyni is getting ready for her next little adventure — on March 8, Women’s Day, she will have the inauguration of the Kochi chapter of her club of Bullet-riding women — Dauntless Royal Explorers. “There are about 10 riders, and many more riding pillion — we will start from the Mash Resto Café in Pallimukku and ride to Marine Drive.”