“Despite its beauty, it is also unforgiving and full of
hidden obstacles,” nods Sharka Zeman. “It is definitely
not for the unprepared rider!”
Sharka is a mother whose daughter is around the same
age as Dolly when she took her life, “(it) makes me worry
constantly about the impact of cyber safety … social
media is a part of our children’s lives, whether we like it
or not.”
While explaining her fears for the safety of her daugh-
ter, Sharka admits that she came across the all women
Simpson crossing purely by chance, “on a Facebook post.
I couldn’t stop thinking about it, despite the fact that I
didn’t own a dirt bike and had never ridden one.”
It was this desire and determination that saw Sharka
prove that anyone can do anything they put their minds
to. This is certainly a tough ride. Yet all the women
prepared for it; physical training, learning new skills,
pushing their bikes and bodies and discovering more
about themselves before they even set a wheel in the
desert. Their progress captured on many social media
posts became a fascinating insight into what inspiration
is about.
Chantal says the preparation was one of the toughest
parts of the ride.
“I really don’t like the gym,” she laughs, yet admits that
the training certainly paid off.
The training all put in paid off, days of high tempera-
tures handling bikes in loose, soft sand, often having
to pick up bikes from awkward positions. Physical and
mental strength was extremely important.
“Toughest part was probably the heat and maintaining
hydration,” adds Jayne. “I was very conscious to keep
fluids up especially on the 40-degree day.”
One rider, Kim Killick, sums up the event perfectly
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