gave me time to continue prepping my mind. Addition-
ally, I decided to use the time to prep my own motorcycle
for off-road use. I contacted RevZilla and spoke with
them about how hell-bent I was to get back in the saddle.
I revealed to them that riding was my balm to sanity/in-
sanity. The folks there all have incredible riding expe-
rience and easily understood how important it was for
me. They gifted me Sidi boots, crash bars, a bash plate,
gloves, dirt tyres and even two pairs of socks.
Perhaps I should own more than a Swiss Army Knife,
but I must confess I’m not mechanically inclined ... yet.
My oil changes tend to look like murder scenes covered
up with kitty litter. Modifying my bike was a piece-by-
piece situation. In the process, patience with others and
with myself was necessary as little-by-little things came
together over the next 8 months. With the help of my
friends and their toolboxes, I installed everything but the
tires.
A local friend, Jenna Stellar of Stellar Moto Brand,
loaned me her Dyneema Stratosphere jumpsuit to test
during the RawHyde training.
During my time of recovery, well over two years by
now, I had been graced riding with some elite riders.
Their generosity with their time, as well as their knowl-
edge, helped keep my fires stoked.
My riding buddies James and Toby would get a wild
hair and without much warning I would find myself
following them on a mountain trail or alongside sketchy
industrial areas hemmed between the railroad tracks and
the Los Angeles River. My biker brain would tend to lose
control while manoeuvring through ballast and deep silt,
all while heading for a steep grade and then across the
train tracks, reminding me of deadly target fixation.
I was thrilled with these escapades, for these were
the moments I felt most alive ... wild and full of laugh-
ter. These two road dogs understand me and know how
to help me shake off my fears by playfully engaging my
riding skills. They helped me to banish my demons by
helping me become a demon myself.
Finally the date of my do-over arrived and I rode to the
RawHyde off-road course along with my friend James,
who would be taking the course and photographing the
experience.
The three days of training were rigorous, and with the
36-degree Celsius heat I often felt nauseous and nervous.
The experienced coaches kept a careful watch over our
group of seven rookie riders. I was the only female and
the only one that had a bit of dirt experience, aside from
James.
Nonetheless, I was still a rookie and still in recovery
from all I’d gone through.
This was a challenging curriculum to cover and we had
TRAVERSE 89