I was asked by Toni (from Sturgis Buffalo Chip) if I would be on the panel and share my experiences with other women. I seriously applaud what the Buffalo Chip is trying to do to empower women and I agreed. I have been at several of the events and each year it just gets more enjoyable and I look forward to seeing old friends and making more. The speaking panel consisted of a variety of women with various backgrounds, which to me is great to share so many different experiences. Upon arrival you are greeted by the Buffalo Chip gals and they are so pleasant it is a great way to start out. Followed by the Team Diva Comfort Zone, which included hair care, nail care, massages, all donation only and proceeds to the Charity Helping With Horse Power.
Let me tell you about a few of these amazing women:
“Anything worth doing is worth OVERdoing”
This is the credo of Diva Amy, mother of 2 grown children, and wife of a great guy for 30 plus years. You cannot miss her on that custom painted and embellished “Diva Glide.” A 2007 Road Glide with a hefty 77000 miles and the fact it has never been trailed is impressive. She is constantly asked how many crystals are on the bike, how long did it take to put them on one by one, and how much did it cost?? She does not know the answer to those three questions, because it was all about creating something that screamed DIVA.
Her favorite color is leopard and Swarovski crystals are all over her bikes, helmets and clothes. Getting the thumbs up while on her bike is a tonic. She wants to show people it ain’t over yet…reinvention at middle age is possible, and there is no time to waste. You have to grab it and twist that throttle while you can. Her whole family rides, even her handicapped daughter is able to ride on the back of her husband’s bike. Diva Amy is the owner, designer, and creator of all things for her company, TEAM DIVA.com specializing in headwear and accessories. Bret Michaels and fans are some of her greatest customers. She also is the host of a ride benefitting Helping with Horsepower during Arizona Bike Week. This has raised awareness and money for this great charity. She is a pleasure to work with and a fantastic friend.
Andie Gaskins, Fast Andie an up and coming pro-drag bike racer. An energetic woman and mother she is a fast paced, highly driven woman with a dream. She encourages those around her to seek their passion.
She is seconds from the goal of going pro and I look forward to the official announcement of this success. She may be small, but arrow dynamic she is when she takes the bull by the horns and makes it happen. Featured on Biker Burnouts and many magazines, she is a well-respected force to reckon with. Andie has competed in the Sturgis drag circuit, finishing second in overall points her first year, followed by a point’s championship in 2009. She also has competed in the All Harley Drag Racing Association during the Sturgis Rally, qualifying in the number one spot in the Super Eliminator class in 2009, and then qualifying in the number one spot and winning the Super Sport class in 2010 and winning Pro E/T Sturgis 2013 Amsoil Rally Races. She competes in the man’s world that could alter many but does so with integrity making her a wonderful example for young girls.
Claudia Garber an executive with the Harley-Davidson motor company, she brings an awesome strength with her. She is very successful in the man’s world of marketing, but that is certainly not the only field she is successful in. It was not a requirement to ride to work at the motor company but she felt compelled to learn how if she was going to promote it. What is awesome is she also brings with her a never give up attitude, she fell in her first class trying to learn but also brought with her that you are never too old to learn. A pleasant soft spoken woman, successful in business and able to balance home with work, which is a task in itself these days. You may ask, “Yes, but can she ride?” I can assure you she can and does so very well! I have had the pleasure of riding with her many, many times. There is so many strengths these women have.
Kathy Tolleson founder of ROAR Motorcycles in Daytona Florida, and an author sharing her love of motorcycling, she started riding at the age of ten and still is at sixty. She shared her passion of helping women and how to help build up their confidence through teaching classes and fitting motorcycles to women.
Audrey Nesbitt a female motorcyclist and successful National Online Marketing Director and PR rep for Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys. During her time there, Audrey has been an advocate of motorcycle safety, ‘”Keep Me Alive Don’t Text And Drive” and several other areas she is passionate about. She shares her strength and encourages women to ride and be safe.
It was a pleasure meeting up with so many women with the same interest and that is riding. The weather was awful and the Road Captain Vicki Sanfelipo, a strong, well known rider and advocate for motorcycle rights and safety issues in the industry watched the weather hoping for a break in the rain. For the first time in history a ride was cancelled due to flooding, which was all over the area. Truth is it gave us more time to share. I know the MC was trying to end the panel discussion but I was not done talking.
I wanted to encourage women to be true to themselves. That it is ok to be who they are. It is deeply important to me that as a woman in the motorcycle industry keeping things real, keeping it honest and having integrity is of great importance. There will always be people that have other agendas. It doesn’t mean perfection to me, it means sharing both mistakes and triumphs. To gain strength from those men and women who have paved the way and encouraged me. It also means proving wrong who doubted what I wanted to do. You know why I love iron, because I hate plastic! You feel me.
To the Karlee Cobb’s, Sara Libertes’, the Andie Gaskins: stay true to who you are! Beauty starts on the inside. To the Maggie May’s and Claudia Garber ‘ It’s never too late to start!’ Inspire, build up and give back, you don’t have to hide behind a group or title. Be ok with who you are and show your personal beauty! There is nothing I find more rewarding to me than riding. I want to share that passion. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that some will come and some will go but I will always ride! Live, love, laugh, ride! Yep that would be this one legged blonde.
Helping with Horsepower
Laura Klock intends to connect, inspire and challenge your audience. She reaches this goal with her presentation titled “ANY ROAD”, where she shares personal life experiences, racing and riding stories, and genuine encouragement.
Named Cycle Source Magazine’s 2008 Motorcycling Woman of the Year, and named again in 2011, Laura is listed as “a true enthusiast, a real person with a great sense of self and purpose”.
When we launched the first Helping With Horsepower™ Bike Rebuild Program at the Abbott House in Mitchell, South Dakota, we really had no idea that God’s plan was for it to grow to help troubled and at-risk youth in other states and facilities as well! We’ve completed a second bike rebuild at the Abbott House, and launched the licensed programs at many new facilities.
Created to raise funds for South Dakota charities, Biker Belles bring women, their families and friends together to celebrate the role they play in shaping the culture, sport, art and the history of motorcycling. The two main charities they support are Helping With Horsepower and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame.
Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame
The Mission and Vision of the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame is to collect, preserve, and interpret the history of motorcycling, honor those who have made a positive and significant impact on the sport and lifestyle, and pay tribute to the history of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. We do this through offering comprehensive and educational exhibits and showcasing rare and unusual examples significant to our history and sport.
Cat Hammes, The One Legged Blonde:
Cathryn “Cat” Hammes is often heard before she is seen, and then she isn’t in sight for very long. A blur of pink leather and chrome, Hammes fell in love with the rumble of Harley-Davidson motorcycles on her very first ride, and she hasn’t stopped cruising since.
In the spirit of the fabled motorcycles that she rides, Hammes is as tough and resilient as her ivory and chrome Fat Boy®. She took that bike on a 9,000-mile trek in 2005, exploring the far reaches of Canada, and when the weather allows she can be seen—and heard—riding that same bike around the town of Racine, Wisconsin. Hammes’ Fat Boy had to be rebuilt after a serious accident in 2006, and much of Hammes’ body had to be rebuilt too. Her friends say she is stronger for it.
“The fact is that she don’t [kid] you,” says friend Jeff Gustin, who did the work on Hammes’ bike after the accident. “She’ll tell you, If you don’t like it, you never have to talk to me again.’ She’s not going to hide anything from you, and if you can’t accept her for who she is, then don’t even bother. That spirit has come out even more since the accident.”
By Brady Delander excerpted from an article for OandP.com
To read more about Cat Hammes – The One Legged Blonde please click on one of the links below:
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