Ruck ‘n’ Roll!

What’s the ultimate way to travel the globe? According to sports fanatic and social media sensation Vanessa Ruck, it’s on a motorbike!

By Rachel Ifans published by Glourious Sport [full article here].

Scroll further and you’ll see her prepping her darling Buddy – a Husqvarna TE 250i – for a race, giving her the full works including oil change and filter, switching the tires for a clean edge, and firing up Thug, her beloved Harley Davidson DYNA Street Bob.

Vanessa owns five bikes (Buddy, Thug, Bear, Big Red, and Woody), has traveled to 21 countries on rides, and has entered – to date – nine big races, including the British Extreme Championship, the British Hard Enduro Championship, Rallye du Maroc and Red Bull Romaniacs. She’s definitely making her mark in the biking community as one of the precious few women who ride – and you get the feeling she’s only just begun.

“However, I’ve now had seven surgeries on my hip and my shoulder [full accident story here]. I didn’t have all of them in one go; it was more a case of one every year for seven years – when a previous op didn’t work, complications happened or things were missed. I’ve effectively got a reconstructed right shoulder and right hip involving bone work, ligaments, soft tissue, tendons and cartilage.”

As well as hours and hours of rehab, loads of time on crutches and many days in bed, Vanessa’s mental health took a huge hit. “I’ve had some of the darkest days you can imagine; in fact, I’d say that the mental recovery has probably been harder than the physical and I’m quite open about that.” “Mindfulness is now a big part of my life. When my hip is hurting particularly badly, most of the time I can cope with it but there are moments when I get angry and can quickly spiral down into a toxic, negative mental state. Through mindfulness, I’ve learned to be conscious of my thought processes and recognise early triggers.”

For the rest of the Glorious Sport article see here.

Check out other Vanessa Ruck media placements here.