Let’s hear from Moksha Jetley, a single mother who rides a bullet at 54, is a Limca Book of Records holder for being the first woman biker to have completed the Leh-Manali strip in 20 hours and 20 minutes. And founder of BacknBeyond, a venture which organizes bike tours all across India.
You are a single mother. How was bringing up your daughter on your own?
Being a single mother is a wonderful feeling as you can bring up your kid the way you want. I feel a kid is ultimately a mother’s responsibility. She is the one who has to make sure that she can look after her/him and give a healthy atmosphere to grow. If that doesn’t happen, she is the one responsible and should take steps to give good life to her kid. God has given a woman tremendous power. She only has to recognize her potential. I never had any problems bringing up my daughter on my own as right from the beginning we were very like close friends and used to enjoy every moment of life. Being single is not a problem, not having the right kind of attitude is the main hurdle. It is from my own life experience, I can say that a woman can easily live her life independently, very happily and with dignity and a lot of peace of mind.
In what ways did motherhood changed you?
After my daughter’s birth, I became more responsible, strong, fearless, ready to face challenges and any hardships, serious about various women and girl child issues. Working for such issues became purpose of my life and I am happy to tell you that I am on the right path. When my daughter was born, my in-laws didn’t take it well as she was a girl. I stood against their unacceptable attitude and finally left them. My daughter was too precious to me and as a mother I was prepared to do anything for her well-being, no matter whatever I had to face.
The mother daughter together
When did you start riding bikes? Which was your first trip as a biker?
Professionally I started riding bikes in 2008. I started biking when I was a teenager. My father taught me how to ride a scooter when I was just fifteen years of age. Biking I started on my own. I feel it was a passion since childhood.
From Manali to Leh was my first bike trip in Sept, 2008. This route is one of the most challenging in the world. Riding on the high mountain passes, is never easy: that too handling the bike in water-falls, endless muddy roads full of big stones and pot-holes. I couldn’t believe myself that on my very first expedition I could ride from Keylong straight to Leh in almost 17 hours. I think we know very little of our own potential. It comes up only when we put ourselves into test.
What are some of the challenges you faced while riding in your biking expeditions in tricky terrains?
You need both physical and mental fitness for biking. Especially, in the present scenario on the roads where people drive so recklessly. I often think why they are in so much hurry to kill or get killed, couldn’t find answer till date. One has to be extra conscious while riding. Four wheeler vehicles still have some protection, on a two wheeler, margin of error is very thin. Many a times, I had a very narrow escape. Riding in mountains is more easy as you don’t find much traffic and everyone out there drives carefully, well, in most of the cases or there are all kind of people who never learn.
I enjoy more on tricky terrains as they are never easy and I like to accept challenges.
What do you do to stay fit at 54? Share some tips.
I never count my age. Age is in the mind. For me each moment is precious and has to be fully lived. Life is ‘Now’. Past is gone, there is never a future. It is always ‘Present’. Live in the present.
I feel it is very important to keep learning and growing in life. A life without a purpose becomes boring and that is how aging process starts taking its toll. Keep thanking the Almighty for His graciousness and feel blessed. That is the way of feeling young forever.
Any message for mothers out there who are struggling to do something on their own.
In our country, women are the ones who prefer a male child. I would like to give the example of our first Prime Minister Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru who had just one daughter, Smt. Indira Gandhi and she became our country’s first lady Prime Minister. What we have learnt from this example? We should not discriminate on gender. Women have done wonders and they are known for taking care of their parents and being more attached to them. My appeal to all mothers is to come out of this mindset that there has to be a son.
I was single at the age of 26 with three and half years old daughter. Everyone around me was of the opinion that I must go for remarriage as it would be very hard for me to live on my own and take care of my kid. I put my foot down and carried on my life as I had full confidence in myself. Now at the age of 54, I can say proudly that I proved everybody wrong. Not only I could looked after my daughter nicely, I also brought up her up as a independent, responsible, confident and a nice human being.
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