Picnic rider to super biker
The only Indian woman to complete the Raid de Himalaya, 30-year-old rally racer Sarah Kashyap wants to ride bikes till the age of 90
She is an MBA from the University of Wales, has worked for Google and Royal Enfield but ultimately found her passion in speed and thrill.
As 70 participants lined up for the India Baja Dakar Challenge series in Jaisalmer in April, it was hard to miss Sarah Kashyap. Petite, pretty... that’s the first impression but make no mistake. The 30-year-old cross country rally racer is tough as nails and is out to challenge the men in their own game and beat them too!
Approach Sarah and she comes across as a confident, cool and unabashed girl. In the world of thrills, danger and adventure, she has found her footing.
“I am going to ride bikes till age 90,” declares the Chandigarh girl, adding that her Punjabi blood gives her both power and zest.
“I have been riding for more than a decade, but I started participating competitively three years back. I am just eight rallies old but have finished two major cross-country rallies. My theory in life is simple: whatever a man can do, a woman can too!”
Sarah’s CV is impressive. She is the only woman in India to complete the Raid de Himalaya and covered the last 200 km with a broken collarbone.
“In my first Raid de Himalaya in 2015, there were 20 out of 75 riders who finished the rally. I was one among them and the first ever woman rider to finish the race.
“Leaving the job unfinished is not an option for me. Never. I will fall, dust myself and keep going and that is exactly what I did on that day,” she says with infectious energy.
And what about the fear of injuries or life-threatening circumstances? “When I started racing, people used to tell my dad that your girl will die one day. And he said ‘Even if she does, she will go in full flight like a star. She could even die in a room if ceiling fan falls on her, but the rally circuit is just better’!
“I had a lot of concerns from my Punjabi mother that dekhna ajj kudi na wapas nahi aana (Today, she is not going to return). I have had those moments. But I know no stopping.”
Sarah definitely carries that spirit with her as she travels the country’s length and breadth on her bike, sometimes with just a tiny bag of survival essentials.
“Initially, they called me a picnic rider who was here for fun but gradually fellow riders understood I am here to compete and grow in this industry, at some point of time give a serious competition to everyone around.”
Once back home, Sarah says she is a regular girl who loves judo and is also into fashion.
For now, Sarah is planning to compete in various competitions this year and is devoting her time to fitness and biking.
‘People used to tell my dad that your girl will die. And he said, ‘Even if she does, she will go in full flight like a star’.