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Expert Speaks | 05 Oct 2020

Expert Speaks with Aishwarya Pissay

Some people break stereotypes and then some people are born to rewrite the rules of the game. Today we converse with one such personality. Our inspirational interviewee for this edition of Expert Speaks is the first Indian woman to have competed in the Baja Aragon World Rally and the first Indian woman who has earned six national titles in circuit racing and national championships combined. This unmissable phenomenon on the Indian bike racing scene is known as Aishwarya Pissay, or Miss Pissay, as her handle, reads on Instagram.

1) How and why did you start riding?

I started riding when I was roughly 18, and it was purely out of curiosity at first. I used to go for rides with my college friends, and that’s where it all started. Riding for me wasn't an entirely self-taught effort as my younger brother helped me with learning how to ride in the early days.

Although I'm not entirely sure about it, my affinity for motorcycles started from the days when my father would take me out on his bike for a weekend ride or whenever he had free time. Also, when I was 10, I watched a MotoGP race and experienced an instant fascination towards the sport. I had a thing for speed from the very beginning, so a friend of mine once suggested that I visit a race track or a rider training school and see how it works out for me. That, more or less, is how my racing career kick-started in 2016.

2) What activities are a part of your daily schedule?

I train rigorously around the week. My schedule is curated every week, and it includes a variety of physical fitness activities. Of a typical week, three days are dedicated to physical training, including endurance, strength and conditioning training. This is followed by three days of dedicated riding regimes towards the weekendat the Tribal Adventure Cafe, Big Rock Dirt Park or the TVS track.

For mental fitness, we play games to replicate race situations. These mind games are curated by my mental coach, who makes sure that I'm doing good with my overall progress over the week.

3) How much time do you usually spend around bikes/motorcycles apart from your training regimes?

I commute on my motorcycle. I also go long-distance touring on my motorcycle, so I think it won't be wrong to say that the majority of my time is spent around or on motorcycles, and I absolutely love it. I LIVE motorcycles! It's my only temple to worship.

4) How important is mental fitness as compared to physical fitness in motorsports?

Mental fitness is as necessary as physical fitness in motorsports. Over the years, with all the accidents and rough patches I've faced, the one significant thing that I've learnt is not to let anything distract or discourage me, and that's what my mental coach and I keep working on. I think the focus on mental conditioning has played an immensely important role in my racing career. When I started my career, I needed to work on my physical fitness as I wasn’t fully aware of the high endurance levels demanded by real race conditions.

Considering the challenges, I have experienced, I believe it’s imperative that each athlete has a mental trainer/coach, as it helps a lot. When we're tired between races, it helps to think right and to channelise our energy in the correct direction. At the end of the day, it’s us who have to do it, but we need someone, just to show us the way.

5) Are there any physical barriers which make things difficult for women who participate in such events? How do you overcome those difficulties?

On average, women have about a 32% deficit in muscle mass as compared to men, so women have to work harder to attain a specific competitive physical state. Women need to work more dedicatedly towards becoming a high endurance athlete, for being able to participate in physically demanding competitive events. So physical fitness is the only barrier which I think exists, but it isn't a barrier for long if you have decided to overcome it and are prepared to work hard to achieve that goal. But you have to ensure you cross that barrier. For instance, you have to sustain through a hot day when your race is scheduled in the afternoon. Once you have raced for 30 mins straight in those atrociously hot conditions, that is when you fully understand the need for endurance. As for me, having been around in the competitive motorsports arena for some time now, physical fitness has become a part of my life. It's become more of a habit, a way of life, than an isolated exercise for me.

6) What do you prefer - circuit racing or off-road riding?

I like motorcycle racing anytime, but I'm choosing to do off-roading at this point because I'm aiming to be at Dakar. Dakar is like the Olympics of motorsports, and one of my goals is to be there in times to come. I want to continue to represent myself at an international level and I guess the best place to do that is at Dakar.

7) How would you describe the women's motorcycle community in the country? Where do you see it going in the upcoming years?

It has vastly improved over the past years. There was a time when I was the only lady on the grid. Today, we have a growing community of women racers and dedicated groups for women riders, such as BIKERNI, which is great! Apart from the community, the motorsport industry is also evolving to support women riders. Manufacturers like TVS Motor Company are leading the way with events like One Make Championship for women. These initiatives have helped bring out much enthusiasm and participation among women riders. With these initiatives, we’re also witnessing the emergence of some really good new talent.

In coming years, I'm hoping that motorcycling won't remain a male-dominant sport. I hope it becomes a neutral contest, with women participating in good numbers.

8) Who promoted/motivated you to extend your riding hobby as a career?

No one in general; it was a straightforward choice. I loved motorcycles and wanted to explore what lay in store. I followed my instincts, started racing and won championships. Signing up with TVS Racing followed, and everything kind of started to fall into place after that, and that is when the motivation began to flow in. After I was onboard the TVS Racing Team, things changed a lot. I guess that was a turning point for me as well as for my motorsports career.

9) What is your advice to the upcoming women riders willing to pursue a career in motorsports?

For women who are looking to pursue this as a career, I would like to say this - don't let anyone tell you that it's not your piece of cake. Get into full-time training schools or get yourself a personal trainer and dedicate yourself 100% towards attaining your goal. Sure, it takes tons of hard work, a lot of money, energy, sweat and months and months of training. By no means is it going to be easy, but if you give it your 100%, then I'm sure you'll be able to get where you aim to reach! .....

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