Kerala's 56-years-old Mini Augustine rode 2400 km from Delhi to Leh on her Bullet

 

56-Years-old Mini Augustine's  biking talent could amaze you a lot. She recently completed a 2,400 km ride from Delhi to Leh in 18 days and talks about her motorcycle journey to the Himalayas and her love for her Royal Enfield Classic 500.

Mini participated in the heritage ride organized by ‘Royal Enfield’ as part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, an initiative by the central government to celebrate 75 years of progressive India. The Canara Bank sponsored Mini for the heritage ride as she was an inspiring model for every woman. “I will consider myself long in the tooth when I am unable to ride a motorbike,” says Mini after riding close to 2,400km. This is not the first time she is covering such a long distance on a motorcycle.

She memorized her long ride experiences,

"The journey was emotional, physically draining and demanding as well. I rode 2,400 km from Delhi to Leh on my Royal Enfield in 18 days. The journey took my breath away. In Himachal Pradesh there is so much greenery, and in the cold deserts of Ladakh, there is not even a blade of grass .I found the Himalayan odyssey a test of endurance and strength. When I turned 40, my husband advised me to stop riding a bike and instead shift to a car to stay safe. I felt insulted and I didn’t give up. Riding a bike gives me the thrills and helps me stay young.”

Describing the scenery from Chandigarh to Manali, Augustine says, “As we ascend the mountain, we have the Beas River for company. The terrain keeps changing with altitude. The Deodar trees can be seen only at Manali after which there is no greenery.”

It was not easy and Augustine suffered from high altitude sickness. “Because of landslides, we took a five hour break enroute from Keylong to Sarchu. The hot sun drained me out. At Sarchu, I became so drowsy that I fell off the bike.”

“Some of my young fellow riders required oxygen, some were hospitalized and sent back. At my age, I could manage because of my religious fitness regimen. My day is incomplete without a morning walk, coupled with a two-km jog and Suryanamaskar. I am careful about what I eat too. I avoid meat. Instead, consume fish and eggs for my protein requirement. And, fruits and nuts for energy.”

Mini was born in Kerala and brought up in Coimbatore's conservative family where people did not ride a lot of bikes. Especially for women, it was not allowed. She was just 14-years-old when she started riding with a 50-cc moped, which in those days did not require a license to ride.

“I never thought that I would graduate to a bigger bike, I was happy with the small milestones I was creating for myself,” she says. In 1994, Mini moved to Chennai where she worked with Canara Bank. Then at the age of 27 her husband (Biju Paul) taught her to ride a bike -an old Royal Enfield Bullet 350.He asked Mini if she’d like to ride it. “I remember telling him it was too heavy and I wouldn’t be able to,”

 She recalls the memory and  says, “He said, ‘I am asking you to ride it, not carry it around. How does its weight matter to you?’ That was perhaps all the motivation I needed. I started with that bike and it was like a dream.” After having ridden the 350-cc bike, Mini says that even looking at other smaller bikes or scooters was impossible.

Her bike journey goes from  short to long distance,

“I had travelled short distances of 100 to 150 kilometres to Bhutan and Nainital from Kolkata, where I discovered several riding groups. What was just a necessity until that time, grew into a passion around these people. I was inspired to ride to Leh in the Himalayas. My age was a very big factor for me, so I decided to take a year off to get physically fit and regain whatever I could. I joined the Royal Enfield Himalayan Odyssey”.- Mini says.

Mini first learnt to ride on a 350 CC bullet, and then she rode Bajaj Chetak, Bajaj Samurai, the bulky Eterno and the Honda Unicorn, a light and powerful bike. The bike which she rides now is the Cruiser Thunderbird 500 CC. “I enjoy riding the Thunderbird. While other bikers may zip past me, I go slow and steady commanding my space on the road. It’s like being the king of the road. It gives me the ultimate high.”

How has the experience changed Mini,

“I didn't see anyone of my age group in my team, most of the people with me did not have to deal with the same problems that I had. Initially, I hadn't thought too much about the path, only the destination. I knew that there would be river crossings and off-roads, but the actual experience was like going through hell and knowing that there were more ahead was really frightening. There were stretches that were entirely off-road through miserable and cold conditions. One day, we returned to Keylong in Himachal Pradesh and I was totally broken, questioning my decisions. As I went on, I slowly gathered the composure that was necessary to go on. Keeping my bike running and not falling down were the only two things I needed to focus on. But as difficult as it was, I learnt many things from that ride, there are journeys I couldn't have made today if I hadn't finished that one. I feel alive when I am riding my bike. There is absolutely nothing that comes close to that feeling.” says 56-year-old senior manager at Canara Bank.

She never steps out without a helmet and safety gear. “Once I broke my ribs after a crash and it took three-months to recover. My helmet save my head, and life. A good pair of boots, knee guard, and a riding jacket is a must during long rides.” Augustine dreams of doing a cross-country ride next or may be the golden triangle of New Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan.

Reaching Khardung La pass, which is 5,359m above sea level, and being the oldest woman to get there was a huge achievement for Mini. She says with a smile, “I attribute a lot of credit to my husband who, sitting miles away, kept motivating me to go on. Leh was tough on me – I faced altitude sickness and had no emotional anchor in the group as well. I would SMS my husband and his replies were always filled with positivity and motivation. He somehow knew just the right thing to say to me. Biju ensured that every morning before I left for the day, I read something that was calming and motivating.”

Mini is a role model for her children Kevin and Ann Elizabeth and does not consider herself to be ‘old’ to ride, “Age is just a number and the day I am unable to ride is when I will age"- 56 years old Mini Augustine says.

 Whenever she goes from Kerala to Tamil Nadu to meet her parents, she completes the 250 km route by bike. The road there is not so easy, even after being through the ravines and rocky roads, she prefers to go by bike.