“While other people have been feeding a raccoon belly over the Corona period, The Girl On A Bike can proudly show off her body” Thanks so muchMotorradreporter das Österreich Internet Motorradmagazin.atfor the shout out. My body is my one and only home for life so I’m doing all I can to keep it in shape, and get prepared for my next hip surgery so I go in as strong as I can!
Pause for thought – do we really want life as we knew it back?
As heard on BBC Radio Oxford
If you prefer to read, here is my pause for thought:
Hi, my name is Vanessa Ruck also known as The Girl On A Bike and my pause for thought began in 2014 when I was involved in a life changing accident while cycling. Over the following 6 years I was on a mental and physical roller coaster to get my life back. A life of extreme sports, peak fitness, and most importantly pain free living. I battled through a time when I didn’t even see myself as me, this broken body unable to participate in the activities I loved was not me. Many of my friends would ask me “when is Vanessa” going to be back?
Exploring the countryside around home
And then it happened. I realised, not over night, but in an awakening journey about what recovery really means.
When people say ‘recovery’, you typically think of returning to how you were before. But there is no going back. You do not merely recover, you reinvent yourself. You learn so much as you fight through, you see things in new ways and discover new truths; it’s an irreversible journey.
As I record this sat at home in lock-down I see so many similarities to the world’s battle with covid-19. None of this was planned but it is unfortunately the reality of the world we live in right now. The effects are life changing, life as we knew it torn apart, and impacts likely to last well into the future.
I hear so many talking about wanting life back, going back to how things were before. But I can’t help but wonder if that is really what we should want. Lock-down has taught me a lot about myself and somehow made me look at the world in a new way. Always busy, rushing, doing, being, fighting to cram more in, have more, do more, be more. But what does it all mean if we cannot share it with our friends and families? I wonder if I am not the only one seeing what’s more important in life than things. Time is precious.
How many of us have had more phone calls with loved ones and friends more than ever before? How about grandparents, where before it might be months between visits, and now we are embracing video calling and connecting as much as we wish. I’ve had Friday night socials, coffees in the garden sunshine. Reconnecting with people where ‘time’ seemed to have drifted us apart simply because life was ‘too’ busy. I’ve even spent time encouraging more birds into the garden and enjoying their songs. Done jobs I never had the hours in the day to do. I’ve explored the countryside around home. Places on my doorstep so beautiful yet I didn’t realise they were there, instead, jumping on planes and traveling. And most importantly. I’ve stopped to listen and be grateful for everything I do have around me right now. Yes I would love to jump on my off road motorcycle and tear off into the wilderness, but life, even in lock-down is a blessing to be alive.
I think that after lock-down I will take learnings from this time, realising that life does not have to be quite so fast paced and hectic. Keeping a little stillness and deep breaths of appreciation, keeping stronger connections with those I love. Sometimes it is the simple things in life that can bring the most joy.
I was honoured to be invited to join Kat Orman on her mid morning programme, Stories to make you smile and Make A Difference. We talked about life in lock-down and how even now in this strange chapter we all have so much to be grateful for.
ADV Pulse: Adventurer Copes With Life-Changing Accident By Racing Off-Road
After years of painful recovery and surgeries, she found relief racing off-road.
This one was an emotional one for me. ADV Pulse wanted to do a deep dive into the real implications of racing following my accident and it was a pretty emotional experience talking to Egle but I really hope my story helps others.I’d love to hear what you think about the article in the comments below. Do you battle on, can you relate?
The Girl On A Bike recently contacted my local Oxfordshire news paper and was so tickled pink when they wanted to hear more about my story. I even made it into the print!
Vanessa Ruck in the Oxford Mail
“A DISASTROUS incident that left Oxfordshire resident Vanessa Ruck with life-changing physical injuries is what inspired her to quit her job and enlist in one of the most challenging motorcycle races in the world.
Six years and 58,000 Instagram followers after the 33-year-old was hit by a red-light-jumping car, the adrenaline-lover is determined to push her body to its limits.”
Guess who was live on the radio? BBC Radio and little me! It was such an honour, as The Girl On A Bike, to join BBC Oxford show and share my story. As the 6-year anniversary of my accident looms closer I hope that my struggles and story can help others find the energy to keep pushing on. Life can through us curve balls but it’s how we handle them that counts. Our of my accident grew The Girl On A Bike.
If you would like to listen to my BBC radio interview, please click on the link below and skip to 08.50 minutes in – that’s me! Two sections with a song in the middle. I’d love to hear what you think? Please do have a listen and comment below – I want to hear from you!
The Girl On A Bike survived the British Enduro Championship round one! Here’s more on how I found it over on Motorradreporter. You can also read about how I got horrifically stuck and how Tom Sagar saved me… #hero
Honoured to be called a “daredevil” by Motor Rad Reporter 🤪 I’m just out there trying to make the most of life. A life changing accident really puts things in perspective and the terrifying reality is that tomorrow…might not come.
When your favourite tool company, Teng Tools, ask if they can feature you in their quarterly magazine…you say yes!
ACHIEVING THINGS I DIDN’T REALISE WERE WITHIN MY REACHES
FROM TRAGEDY TO POSITIVITY. VANESSA RUCK HAS OVERCOME SO MUCH AND IS NOW EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO GET THEIR HANDS DIRTY AND HIT THE ROAD!
Born and raised in England. I’m a go-getter, a
chase-your-dreams kind of girl. I grew
up in the great outdoors, getting muddy and messing around keeping fit with
horses and quad-bikes and always up to mischief.
But things took a life-changing turn on the 25th of March 2014. I was on my bicycle with the fresh feeling of spring in my stride and hit the road pedalling hard! Out of nowhere an oncoming car pulled across in front of me. I had a microsecond. Time seemed to go into slow motion. But there was nothing I could do. There was no route for avoidance. No hope to avoid impact. I felt my body crumple as I shattered into the rear passenger panel. My right shoulder took the full impact. My body screamed internally before collapsing to the ground on my right side.
I was feeling incredibly shaken up, as one would expect but
my get-up-and-go attitude had me staying positive about the short-term
implications.
Today, years since the accident; my body has been through so
much. Over 13 months off work, 6 operations, full shoulder reconstruction [yes,
I am now partly bionic], 4 hip surgeries, countless steroid injections,
hydrotherapy, osteopath, shock wave treatment, acupuncture, red light therapy, spiritual
healing, ice treatment, months and months of physiotherapy, and continued hip
treatment.
My escapism has always been through sports, whether that’s
kite surfing, snowboarding or mountain biking, it’s always been about getting
physical, but the accident changed that, but then motorbikes came into my
world. They’ve swiftly become my favourite form of adventure; the open road,
the power, the ability to simply disappear into the unknown and travel the
world. Some may wonder how I’ve been able to ride motorcycles during my
recovery, given the injuries. But most of the people who ask are those who
don’t ride!
I started @TheGirlOnABike when bed bound after my 3rd surgery following the accident, I needed something positive to channel my energy into. Since this day I have continued to share the ups and downs of my journey. Now as I discover new DIY techniques for my bike, I’m planning to help empower others to give it a go too, showing them that if someone like me can do it, they can do it too! I want to give people the confidence to get some tools, get their hands dirty and get working on their motorcycles. For me, DIY completely opens up new areas of knowledge, helping me learn and achieve things I didn’t realise were within my reaches.
I am passionate about so many things, but motorbikes are now so central to everything. There are few things as satisfying as a hard day’s graft working on your bike and seeing the results on the road. When I think of hand tools, I think Teng Tools! The tools are awesome, and I know I can rely on them to help me get the job done. Working on my motorcycle, my pride and joy, I only want to use the best. For me that is Teng Tools.
From Motocaina: Monmouth Youtube Vanessa loved sports activities, but in 2014 she had an accident that completely changed her life. It was then that her … motorcycle became the greatest support in her recovery.
Her sports and life activity has completely changed, because the injuries she suffered required a calm lifestyle. Cycling was out of the question, so Vanessa chose a motorcycle for her commute. She did not know then how it would affect her life …
The choice fell on the Harley-Davidson brand, the 2015 model – Dyna Street Bob, or “Thug”. Her love for the brand blossomed during her honeymoon, when she and her husband rented two HD motorbikes for a 5-day trip. And with the motorcycle and numerous trips, the joy of life has also returned. After some time, a small Cross KTM was delivered to the garage.
The website “The Girl On A Bike” was created in 2016 on a hospital bed, when Vanessa needed some positive momentum in her life after her third hip surgery. There, she showed her real life, motorcycle trips, but also days that were strewn with spikes, not roses.
Her story gave strength to many people in a similar situation, it became an inspiration. After such a positive response, the motorcyclist continues to share her life and run a blog. It is already after 6 operations and still requires rehabilitation. She did not regain her former life, but she gained a new one, also fully satisfying!
Check out other Vanessa Ruck media placements here.
If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life changing accident, which started it all.
