Monday, April 28, 2014

Colleen Vetere - Enjoying All Life Has To Offer


Name: Colleen M. Vetere
eMailAddress: freespirithd@gmail.com
Cell: 720.544.1042
City: Littleton 
State: CO
Country: United States of America

Share how you came to be a motorcyclist? What Make and Model do you ride? How has riding shaped you into the person you are today?
I was that little kid, nose pressed to the car window, watching with longing every motorcycle that appeared alongside. Despite my parent’s best attempts at thwarting said interest, I remained convinced that somehow, some way, motorcycles would be in my future. My “riding” began with opportunities to take a spin on minibikes owned by my brother’s friends. I then spent several years during college hitching rides on the back of my boyfriends’ motorcycles. It wasn’t until the late 80’s and became a nurse in the emergency room that I met the first woman I knew who rode a bike – my charge nurse. I “borrowed” her bike as often as I could and, as they say, the rest is history. Over the years I’ve ridden many makes and models. My current bikes are a 1994 Harley Davidson Road King and a 2006 Harley Davidson Road Glide. I figure I have over a quarter of a million street miles under my belt so far!


Riding a motorcycle takes confidence and courage. What and who are the people that instilled those qualities in you? How did you develop them? 
I learned to ride the hard way – I jumped on a friend’s bike, he showed me the throttle, the clutch, and the brakes, and off I went. Not ideal, and certainly not recommended. Over the years I met several other folks who rode – men and women – and each of them taught me something new and different about riding, whether new skills, the love of cross-country travel, the love of riding on back-country dirt roads, whatever. As my skills and confidence grew, more and more of the women in my H.O.G. Chapter would seek me out to help them with their skills and confidence after obtaining their endorsements. It was during this time that I realized I probably should become an MSF Rider Coach, so I could reinforce what they had just learned. I taught MSF courses for about 5 years and learned as much as I shared with my fellow riders.


Out on the road, riders face daily challenges. Being vulnerable, a rider needs to be very focused and ready for anything. How do you prepare both mentally and physically for your daily adventures? How do you connect with your inner self and prepare for challenges like fatigue, poor weather conditions, etc. 
Riding cross-country by myself is among my most treasured activities. Beyond the standard preparations of the bike and all my equipment, I visualize the beginning of the ride, knowing that the adventure will unfold itself in due course and take me along for the ride. While I may have some general plans (direction, destination, timing), I make very few plans beyond that. The joy is allowing myself the freedom to detour as I wish, stop when I feel like it, and adjust to conditions as they arise. 

You've been riding for X amount of time. What makes it still exciting for you? What do you get out of it? How has it changed (for you) over the years?
I've been riding motorcycles for over 30 years. In 2003, I got married and my husband and I took leaves of absences and hit the road on our motorcycles of 6 months. We camped most of the time and had very few obligations along the way (Harley’s 100th being the key exception). During that time we experienced every situation one could imagine and we both learned how to adapt and persevere. We both learned so much about ourselves, each other, and riding in general over the course of those 6 months!

As we all know, riding never gets old. What has changed for me is that I no longer feel the need to “prove” that I can master all the hardships, or that I need to “prove” I can handle cold, hot, rain, hail, etc. Been there, done that. Now, preparation for me is assuring that I have all the necessary gear to stay comfortable and focused on the ride –and that means windshields, heated gear, lots of changes of jackets, layers, etc. While I still LOVE the idea of Iron Butt rides (and hope to do at least another couple in the years to come), I also LOVE the chance to take time and just ride.


If you could tell the world one thing about yourself, what would it be?
That I hope to never stop seeking new adventures and meeting new people. These experiences help enrich us as well as those around us.

Paying it forward appears to be a large part of who we are as members of the motorcycle community. Who or what was your inspiration to encourage you to give back? Why do you do what you do?
I had so many folks who helped me in my early days of riding. I get immense joy in helping new women riders gain their saddle confidence. Given that I’m an old emergency room nurse, it was a natural progression to become affiliated with Accident Scene Management, Inc and teach the Bystanders Assistance Course. I’m now an Instructor-Trainer for this program. Vicki Sanfelipo is clearly one of those folks who inspire us to reach well beyond our boundaries to accomplish more than we thought we ever could.

My bike is packed and I'm heading out on the road. These moments are my favorite. That feeling of excited anticipation as I start the engine, and pull out. 
The feelings I have when starting out on a trip are always the same, despite the years of riding experience I have under my belt. Anticipation, nervousness, excitement, butterflies…..these stay with me for at least the first 25-50 miles. I can’t help thinking about all the “what ifs” and the planning I do for those potential occurrences. By the time 50 or so miles are behind me, I’m settling into the groove and feeling much more as one with the bike, the road, the environment, and my mind. That’s when I know I’ve entered my zone and that incredible sense of peace, wonder, and awe envelope me…..


In 1863, Abraham Lincoln wrote in the Gettysburg address…    This nation, under God shall have a new birth of freedom.    A new birth of freedom. Hmm... lots to think about here.    In "Me and Bobby McGee" Kris Kristofferson wrote…    Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.    Tell us what freedom means to you?
Immense gratitude to all the freedom fighters – in whatever form taken – that allows me to enjoy doing what I do. Freedom for me means NEVER TAKING FOR GRANTED the ability for me to enjoy all life has to offer.

What's next for you?
I still have another 5+ years working professionally before I can consider “retiring”, which actually just means I can work at volunteering or as a clinic nurse somewhere. Until then, I’ll ride when I can, looking forward to the day when I can once again take 6 months or more off and just ride – without any commitments, obligations, destinations, or expectations. I cannot wait!



About the Steel Horse Sisterhood

“At the end of our lives what really matters is the answer to the question, “How well did we love?” When we tap into the force of love, suddenly the unforgivable can be forgiven, the un-healable can be healed.” - Sara Stover

This quote is the essence of the Steel Horse Sisterhood.

As women who ride, we share a common bond. We share the passion of helping others, the love for our countries, the love of riding and the love of our motorcycles.

The Steel Horse Sisterhood:


  • Is a collaboration of the life stories of women who live, giving of their time and talents for the benefit of others
  • Is a community of women who share the love of the ride, the love of each other and what fuels their passion
  • Transcends age, race, economics, religion, borders, abilities and motorcycle preference
  • Is a spiritual connection

The inspiration for the Steel Horse Sisterhood and the Steel Horse Sisterhood Summit came about in September of 2012 as a vision to rider and business owner Joan Krenning aka Lady Road Dog

To find out more about the Steel Horse Sisterhood Click Here 

To become a sponsor of a Steel Horse Sisterhood event please contact Joan at joan@steelhorsesisterhood.com

Please visit the following websites to find out more about these passionate women who share the love of motorcycling. 

Motorcycling News & Reviews

    Speakers

        Inspirational


            Be inspired ~ Be happy ~ and Ride on....through this Journey called life.

            Do you know of a website that should be featured? We would love to hear about them. Please e-mail us at joan@steelhorsesisterhood.com

            Joan Krenning
            Lady Road Dog

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