The first Annual Steel Horse Sisterhood Summit May 2nd-4th in Denver, Colorado was jam packed with tons of amazing women. Sisters gathered from all corners of North America. Coming all the way from California to Florida, and a few from Canada, where all sisters were given the opportunity to have a voice and connect with each other.
We kicked off the summit on Thursday with a meet and greet at the Sheraton Convention Center in Greenwood Village, Colorado. The first day wrapped up with a powerful presentation from Lisa Brouwer, Love the Journey. There was a little something for everyone all day Friday. Some topics covered how to stay balanced, live healthy, and stay safe while traveling on the motorcycle. Some of this included hands on activities, such as early morning yoga, where a small handful of us joined to start our day off on the right foot. Other topics included how to eat right when on the go, and how to stay hydrated on long trips. A big topic covered were various hazards on the road, including semi-trucks and trailers, riders riding outside their ability, and also knowing self defense for those women who travel alone. Some of the sisters met up Friday afternoon to participate in the Talking Stick event which allowed sisters to share their journey. It was a great opportunity to see how connected sisters can truly be even with such diverse backgrounds and of all different ages. The lesson I learned, we are more connected than meets the eye. So don’t judge your fellow sister rider. We are meant to empower one another, not impair each other.
Friday evening wrapped up with empowering presentations from Lisa Brouwer and Laura Klock. Each of these ladies made it clear that as we share a piece of our journey from the behind the bars of our motorcycle, don’t hold back, and live to the fullest in all areas of life. The biggest piece of advice they both had to offer was to find balance in life. Even if you don’t ride a motorcycle, this advice holds true. Many people run through life working so much they forget they have a family let alone a motorcycle. I find this true with many women. Find a balance between all areas of life and enjoy the journey!
The event even included a few guided rides and a poker run for the sisters to share the open road together. International Women’s Ride Day started with an early morning ride to the beautiful Red Rocks. Then a photo stop at Rocky Mountain
Harley-Davidson. Next was a guided ride through the foothills. Colorado provided the sisters with majestic scenery.
The Saturday afternoon symposium panel included Chelsey Hall, Jessi Combs, Sarah Schilke, Jasmine Bluecreek, Genevieve Schmitt and ……yours truly. Laura Klock covered a wide variety of questions concerning women in the motorcycle industry. From basics of how we each got started riding motorcycles to where does the courage come from to take the risks we take. I would repeat where I said the courage came from in order for me to drag race motorcycles, but it’s just not as funny the second time around-you should have been there! It was an honor to be a part of the symposium and get to know the other women and their opinions within the industry.
We got to meet the creator and stars of the documentary of Driven to Ride. Michelle Carpenter put together an awesome piece of footage for those inside and outside of the motorcycle industry to see women who ride and what it means to them. It was great to have the stars there, Masyn Moyer, Betsy Huelskamp, Julie Graff, and Debra Conroy to answer questions and get personal with the audience. Everyone, whether you’re a man or woman, and at whatever age has a different perspective on life behind bars. Some hop on to get rowdy. Some enjoy only long relaxing trips. Some just hop from bar to bar. Some ride for daily transportation. I think for most of us, it’s simply a way to get away from “life” and reboot your computer. Gathering this many women motorcyclists in one place gives you an opportunity to see lots of diverse views. The ladies in this film are strong, independent individuals who truly enjoy life behind bars.
The evening speakers included Eldonna Fernandez, Genevieve Schmitt and Jessi Combs. Eldonna gave a great story about how she was introduced into the motorcycle world. What a familiar story. Everyone starts somewhere, but following through and continuing to ride is a choice you have to want to make. If you ever get the opportunity to attend one of her speaking events, I would encourage you to take the time to do so. You won’t be disappointed. A lot of people share a similar story to Eldonna, but most don’t turn it around like she did, much less share the story with others. She is a hero in my eyes. I look forward to reading her book and attending her events in the future.
Genevieve has been a huge part of the industry for many years. I have always enjoyed reading her stories published on Women Riders Now. She let us know how important it is to find balance in all aspects of life. She warned us that life can catch up to you and wear you down fast if you don’t practice that balancing act that we all have to do. Jessi Combs gave us all a totally different view than any other woman. She showed us how great life can be if you don’t hold back, live life with no boundaries, and to push for your dreams.
For a first year event, there was a lot of excitement and many events to attend. To be quite honest, I had no idea what I was getting into. There wasn’t a lot of communication because everyone was so busy getting ready. When Joan Krenning asked me last year to be a speaker, I accepted the offer without much thought. As the event got close, I was starting to second guess if I was prepared or not. At the last minute, I decided to load up a drag bike and keep an open mind to go with the flow.
In between organized events, I took the opportunity to connect with many women. Hear their stories, talk about motorcycles and racing. Connections were made with people that were staying at the hotel for other reasons. A couple from Wyoming struck up a conversation over my drag bike. An interesting conversation took place one evening in the lounge with a gentleman who was at the convention center for a couples retreat. He had overheard several conversations between me and other ladies and wanted to know who I was. I shared with him my passion for drag racing and why I was there. When I finally got him to open up, he was a psychotherapist trying to reconnect with his wife. At one point in my life I owned a motorcycle named “the marriage counselor”. And the bike served just that purpose! I didn’t go to a retreat at a convention center; I went through the Black Hills of South Dakota!
Motorcycles can serve many purposes!
Now that the event is over, I have so many ideas flowing and can be better prepared for next year. After conversing with several ladies since the close of the summit, there will be so much more substance to bring to the summit next year. I look forward to seeing all the ladies I met this year again and meeting many more. Mark your calendars. June3rd – June 6th 2015 in Loveland, Colorado. See you there!
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