There's a saying that goes, “the toughest roads lead to the most beautiful of places”.
But what happens where there are no roads anymore? That’s where the story of Shreya Sundar Iyer begins.
The 24-year-old girl from Bangalore became the toast of the nation’s sporting scene last week when TVS Racing announced her name as a part of their roster competing in the National Rally Championship. In the process, Shreya created history, becoming the first girl to be part of a professional motor racing team in India as well as the first female participant to ever take part in the National Rally Championship
This is her story.
While intimidated at first when she got to know the news, her mood turned jubilant shortly after. The butterflies in her stomach and the thought of racing in different locations across the nation soon turned into thrill in her heart and a smile on her face.
Though she understands the full gravity of her feat, the Bangalore native is humble in her celebrations. But she is also bubbling with joy at the prospect of rubbing shoulders with the best in the country.
“A motorcycle is just a machine, it doesn’t know who is sitting on it, whether it’s a girl or a boy. That’s what I tell people whenever they ask me about being a girl in the world of motorsports,” Shreya said when I caught up with her.
Not the usual story
Shreya Sundar Iyer’s story is not the usual rag to riches story that you hear about athletes in India. Hers is not the story of a broken or dilapidated house. Hers is not the story of an empty stomach when she went to bed at night.
The adversities she had to overcome wouldn’t make headline news.
Her story is one of becoming a name rather than a number, the story of doing something that girls dare not dream of, the story of true grit and the story of being ready to eat dirt for your goals – literally. Above all, it’s the story of having the courage to follow her dreams.
She tasted “liberation” at the age of 17. That was the time one of her friends had bought a 150cc bike.
“I learnt the functionalities of the bike from my friend and just took off. When I took a ride on it for the first I felt like it came pretty naturally to me,” says the bubbly 24-year-old.
A trailblazer in every way
Riding professionally wasn’t a plan that she had all along. “I really got interested in biking after completing college. I started going on long road trips and being an escapist, the rides just helped me to get lost. To get out on my own,” says Shreya, who is also a Design and Management graduate.
“It was only the last three years, that I have taken to cross country and off road biking,” says TVS racing’s new face on the rallying circuit.
A former design associate at Tesco, designing floor plans just didn't cut it for a girl who was an escapist at heart. After one year on the job, she decided to go full throttle on her career of choice. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Three years ago, she had a degree, she had the comforts many others in this country would crave and a nice looking life to look forward to. And three years ago, she was just another name.
In a sport as niche as motor racing in India, Shreya was not on any rankings or anyone’s watchlist, and she certainly had no one to blame. The only one holding her back was she, herself.
That’s when she decided she was going to take what she had and do something with it.
Her adventures caught the attention of Vishwas S.D., a current rally rider and a former member of the TVS team. As things began to fall into place, she toiled hard, and gave it her all. Finally this April she made it to the pages of nearly every major newspaper around the country.
Through these years, with her family’s blessings by her side, Shreya became a trailblazer in every sense of the word. She has carved her way into the national scene of Indian motorsports, eking out roads untravelled, both in life as well as on the track.
Hard work and a readiness to learn pay off
“I ride at least six to seven hours a day, and even then I don’t know if it’s enough. I still have a lot to learn especially when it comes to reading the maps and develop a sense of direction,” says the exuberant rider, whose insatiable appetite for improvement seems to have no bounds.
In the last few years, Shreya has turned the track into an institution of learning. The youngest rider in the field at the National Rally Championship, she hasn’t left any stone unturned as she looks to forge herself even further, imbibing knowledge from all and sundry in her quest to be the best.
“You don’t have to look much further than the riders around you for knowledge or inspiration. Seasoned names like Santhosh and Arun KP are the one I like up to whenever I am at the track”, added the Valentino Rossi fan.
With danger at every corner in the rally scene, Shreya has had to not only condition herself physically to stay on the bike, but has also been training to keep herself composed in any situation.
“It’s not only physical fitness that’s required in a rally, you have to be mentally prepared at the every point when it comes to such an event. Your calmness is what matters while reading the map book to seek out the best routes and also to get yourself out of trouble if you get into any mishaps", quips the 24-year-old.
A different skill altogether
While she has raced on circuits, Shreya always found the rush of the unknown in rally racing more appealing.
“I felt that after a few laps, you go on autopilot mode. While I admire the skills it takes to master the track, it just didn’t give me the same rush I get doing off-roads. I feel it more challenging in every sense,” says Shreya.
The girl from Bangalore feels the challenges in a rally are more difficult than track racing. The technical difficulties in controlling the bike in the dirt whilst also generating maximum traction make it even more so challenging and enjoyable at the same time.
“If you ask anyone 90 percent of the riding done, it's done by our feet, which is way different to normal bike racing. We not only have to use our feet to maneuver the bike around corners but also use the inside of our legs to clamp down on the fuel tank for the majority of the ride to keep the bike stable. The hand only works as a shock absorber,” says the 24-year-old.
Big aspirations for the future
Shreya’s dreams, however, won't be satiated by this moment of glory. Her sights are firmly set on the future; she is committed to the motto “go hard or go home”. The Dakar rally is where her eyes are set at the moment. She hopes to not only participate in the rally but also emulate her idol Laila Sainz and finish the grueling event.
But for now, she wants to successfully navigate the six rounds of the National Rally Championship which kicked off earlier this month. Shreya hopes to feature in the second leg of the championship in Nashik on May 14th, with a shoulder injury having ruled her out of the opener in her hometown.
While Shreya’s journey might not be the rag to riches script that will have any Bollywood producer come chasing for her story, she has shown the country what determination can help in getting to the place where you want to be.
She has taught us that to reach our goals, where we are from doesn’t have to know who we are.
