Solo motorcyclist travels across country

Pooja Bajaj is a solo motorcyclist who travels across India on her Royal Enfield. “I am a state-level gold medalist in cycling. I started riding a motorcycle only in college, but I had the passion for riding since childhood,” she says.

From deciding the areas to cover, the pit stops and logistics, a lot of preparation goes into planning her trips, she says. “I always carry a knife and a pepper spray. I am a trained boxer, which also helps me when I am alone,” she shares. Four months ago, she had set out on a 12-day group expedition to Spiti Valley. On the 10th day, she had an accident. Her right clavicle broke in multiple places. “At first, I felt nothing. A few minutes later, I started feeling giddy and began throwing up,” she shares. Her team took her to the nearest hospital, which was over 100 km away. Due to landslides, it took them three days to get to Chandigarh, where they found that a fragment had lodged itself in her chest. Her doctors advised her to rest. However, as a hardcore rider, she found it difficult to give up on her passion.

She started working out at the gym six days after her surgery, working towards building her stamina. “I had to use a bike of lighter weight because my upper body had become so weak. I had to take it very slow,” she explains. She started by riding around the city and went on a solo trip to Andhra Pradesh a month later. “I am not able to ride as long as I used to, but I will get there,” she says. She is currently planning a journey around Kerala. “I want people to know my story so they feel encouraged to overcome the obstacles in their way and follow their passion,” she concludes.