Conquering One's Fears

Conquering One’s Fears

As a child, I often heard stories about my uncle’s terrible motorbike accident. He was riding his beloved Bullet 500 in the 70s when a car ran into him. My uncle’s accident left him with scars, both physical and emotional - that shaped our family’s view of motorbikes. Whenever I saw a motorcycle, I remembered his limp and the stories of pain, which made me hesitant to ever try riding myself. That fear stayed with me as I grew older. Even when I became a young man, my interest was always in motorcars. I never understood why anyone would brave the elements on a bike when a perfectly good car could get you to the same place. The idea of riding filled me with unease, and I could never shake off the shadow of my uncle’s experience.

Fast forward thirty something years and I found myself locked up alone in an apartment during the pandemic, wondering whether I’ve missed out on something in life. Motorcycles! I wanted to test myself. Will I be able to learn to ride a bike in my late forties and overcome the fears I was carrying all my life?

I began my journey on two wheels as a means of confronting a deeply ingrained fear or motorcycles. Never in my wildest dreams did I picture myself astride a motorcycle, let alone relishing the sense of liberation and exhilaration that comes with mastering the art of riding. With every passing day, as I learnt to handle heavy, powerful motorcycles and navigate the unique challenges posed by tall bikes, I found myself steadily unravelling the layers of apprehension that had carried inside me.

Each obstacle, be it a daunting turn, a stretch of unforgiving terrain, or the anxiety of potentially dropping my beloved bikes, became a stepping stone towards something far greater. The process of confronting and gradually overcoming these fears was not merely rewarding; it was transformative. I discovered a confidence within myself that transcended the boundaries of riding. A realisation that the ability to face and surmount these challenges extended far beyond the handlebars, permeating every aspect of my life.

Riding became much more than a pastime. It evolved into an intimate voyage of self-discovery, reshaping my understanding of personal growth and resilience. With each day spent becoming a more adept rider, I found myself becoming a richer, braver individual - more attuned to life’s complexities, and more equipped to embrace its uncertainties. In conquering my fears on the road, I learnt that the greatest journeys are those that lead us back to ourselves.