As seen in The Motor Cycle Mojo: Discover Vanessa Ruck’s incredible journey from mental health challenges to motorcycle racing. Her story will inspire you to overcome any obstacle in life.
I love people with strength, positive drive, goals and energy. I recently met one such person, Vanessa Ruck. Otherwise known as The Girl On A Bike, she’s a 36-year-old motorcycle rider, racer, adventurer, presenter, social media influencer and motivational speaker. In 2022, she also made history on her stock Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro as the first woman on an adventure motorcycle to finish the 1000 Dunas Rally, held in Spain and Morocco.
However, it’s not just her current badassery that makes her fascinating, but also her deeply personal story of grit, determination, mental health crises, pain, physical recovery, and how she ended up as a motorcycle rider in the first place that is truly inspirational.
Born and raised in England, Vanessa is a self-proclaimed go-getter and chase-vour-dreams kind of girl. A lover of the outdoors, getting muddy, and pushing herself to succeed, she has participated in various adrenaline-pumping sports like kitesurfing, wakeboarding, horse riding, rock climbing, cycling, snowboarding and mountain biking.
But her life took a drastic turn one day in March, 2014, when she was hit by a car that went through a red light while bicycling. She considered herself lucky to be alive that fateful day, after being discharged from the hospital with what she was told was simple “bruising.”
Seven years and seven surgeries later, she’s on an entirely new path, with a fully reconstructed hip and right shoulder, chronic pain, and a rollercoaster ride of emotions tied to a long and draining recovery process.
It was a dark and exhausting time when she struggled to see any point in life. She was diagnosed with multiple disorders, including depression, fear of the road, and adjustment disorder.
“My recovery was pretty brutal physically,” she says, “but mentally, it i was far, far harder.”
The burning adrenaline junky inside of Vanessa never left, though.
Determined to get back to sports, she faced the struggle of comparison: how good she used to be with how she would have to be now. As a wedding anniversary present for her and her husband, Alex, Vanessa rented a pair of Harleys.
She immediately loved the wind in her hair and the feeling of freedom. The Harley was comfortable, with a seat position that didn’t hurt her hip, and steering that her shoulder could handle. It became a new way to adventure, and she loved it.
“I quickly realized that I needed that bike in my life,” she explains.
“Motorcycles [for fun, not commuting] were a completely new thing after the accident. Riding made me feel alive.”
The accident gave Vanessa a massive reality check on what is important in life, and it altered her sense of gratitude and appreciation. It made her massively determined to take advantage of every day. “I realized how hugely lucky we are to wake up in the morning, get out of bed, put our socks on, and go to the toilet on our own.” she says. “All those little things you normally take for granted.
Riding came at a time when I needed something. I didn’t have anything, and I was broken.”
Then, while bed-bound from her third surgery, Vanessa decided she also wanted a dirt bike. Her husband was supportive, even though it would be several months before she could sit on 12 MOTORCYCLE MOJO SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 one. “Surround yourself with people who believe in you and support your crazy ideas,” she says smiling.
Since then, Vanessa has ridden in 28 countries, and has competed in some of the world’s most extreme races, such as the Romaniacs and Rally du Maroc, and she was the first woman to enter the
1000 Tunisia Desert Challenge. She’ll also be racing the Bowler Defender Rallv Car Series this year, her first-ever competition in a car. She is also a keynote speaker at multiple events, including last June at the Adventure Bike Rider Festival in the U.K.
In December, Vanessa will compete in the Africa Eco Race, an annual 14-day, 6,500 km rally in North and West Africa. “I’m nervous about this one,” she says. “They are the most disgustingly horrific events you can possibly put yourself through, yet somehow, I just keep signing up for more.”
Vanessa certainly didn’t get on that dirt bike seven years ago believing she would compete in some of the hardes: rallies in the world. “I would have laughed in your face if you told me that!” she says. “But I ride because I feel so alive when I’m out there on a bike. I am so mentally and physically engaged that there is no time for anything else. The pain will hit me like : a freight train when I get off the bike, but the whole time I’m racing, I’m just alive and in it, and it’s unbelievably addictive.”
For the rest of The Motor Cycle Mojo article see 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.
You can find me Vanessa, The Girl On A Bike over on Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok and YouTube, and www.thegirlonabike.com.
