The Girl on a Bike in the Media

Spirit and Destiny Magazine: Mindfulness transformed me

As seen in Spirit and Destiny Magazine [print]: Following a life-changing accident, Vanessa Ruck found resilience by reframing her thoughts and embracing new adventures.

My life was full of adventure.

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I was into extreme sports and would push myself physically and mentally in everything
I did. Kite surfing, wakeboarding and snowboarding were passions of mine, along with horse riding and mountain biking I’d cycle the 16-mile round trip from my home in Abingdon to Oxford, where I worked in marketing, and on lunch breaks Id go to the gym. I was very fit and active.

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But my life changed forever on March 25th, 2014, when I cycled from my workplace to a wakeboarding lake, eight miles from the office.

I’d barely left work, maybe a mile of tarmac had passed beneath me, and I was cruising along with the traffic.


Delighted to see the lights ahead switch to green as I approached, I pedaled hard to keep momentum. That’s when it happened. Out of nowhere, an oncoming car pulled across in front of me.

Everything played out so quickly. There was nothing I could do. I felt my body crumple as I smashed into the vehicle’s rear passenger side, my right shoulder taking the full impact. My body screamed internally before I collapsed onto my right side.
I could hear my heartbeat, my pulse thumping through my veins, and my surroundings almost a blur.

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Time we stood still.

Then, I snapped back to full-speed reality.
I could hear traffic, and people asking if I was OK. At this point, I didn’t even know. ‘It was a green light!’ I shouted in rage.
Caring passers-by helped me safely to the side of the road, and I was taken to A&E in an ambulance.

For the rest of the Spirit and Destiny Magazine article download from 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 InstagramFacebook and YouTube, and www.thegirlonabike.com.

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