Name: Mona WhiteeMail Address: bikermonie@aol.com
City: Dayton
State: WY
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 first learned to ride a motorcycle at 14 years old when my dad taught me out in the yard on a Honda Trail 70. I loved it! I was the only girl in my class with my own wheels! I stopped riding for a few years but then got back into it full-time in 1992. From the time I was in 5th grade I dreamed of riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and finally got my first one back in 1993. I've been riding one ever since. I joined the Motor Maids in 2003 and it changed my life!! Thanks to them I have ridden my motorcycles in 44 states and I have "sisters" all across the country! Currently I ride a 2010 Harley Street Bob.
Riding a motorcycle takes confidence and courage. What and who are the people that instilled those qualities in you? How did you develop them?
Dad gave me the courage to learn to ride. My first bike week in 1988 I met Jo Giovanni and Cris Somer Simmons who ran Harley Women Magazine at the time. Their magazine gave me confidence and encouragement. I just got tired of waiting for a ride so riding my own was the only way to get to ride! The Motor Maids have inspired me and given me the confidence to travel long distances and have fun with like-minded ladies. I also learned that traveling alone is awesome and safe! Now it turns out I'm inspiring others! When you see people like Laura Klock that go after their dreams and change lives and have the courage to go 200+ mph it inspires you to empower yourself and gives you courage! When I see my friends driving big bikes, hauling trailers and riders and traveling cross-country I am so proud to know them! People like Cindy Black and Cindy Gilman (Ranger Lady) are great examples!
I always try to get enough sleep so I'm mentally ready! I always make sure I have food in my tummy and gas in the tank so I don't have those distractions. I like to have as few things to worry about as possible. Being out on the road clears my mind of all the clutter and my soul starts to sing and my senses come fully alive and I feel ready for almost anything! Connecting with my inner self happens automatically when I'm on that bike!
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?
Every time I ride - memories are made and my energy level just goes up and positivity rules! I am happy, content and living in the moment with a smile on my face! So at peace! I try not to be one of those bikers who defines myself by the fact that I ride a bike. But the truth is, that is who I am because that is when I'm perfectly happy with myself and my life! I have grown so much and lived such a more interesting life and met the most awesome and inspiring people on that motorcycle. If not for it, I wouldn't have experienced so much of the country and met the most amazing people.
If you could tell the world one thing about yourself, what would it be?
That I have lived my dreams and many of them were on the front seat of my motorcycle!
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?
Oh wow - Cindy "Ranger Lady" Gilman inspires me greatly with her organization Ranger Lady - she has an incredible story. She inspires me in so many ways to give back and spiritually.
Also, Laura Klock with her amazing Helping with Horsepower program - it is more awesome than I can put into words that she came up with that idea and then wrote a curriculum so the rest of the world could participate in the same way! She is such a humble lady too - beautiful inside and out.
Oh geez - I feel totally free and that all is right with the world!! I like to travel as light as possible because that ads to the freedom feeling. I always think of Peter Fonda and Easy Rider and feel like maybe I'm somehow a female version of that! I try to always fly an American flag on the bike when I go on a road trip - it's one of my rituals and expresses that I'm proud to live in a country where I am a woman free to take off on a motorcycle and go wherever the heck I want! I like traveling solo - as it is incredibly free and usually stress free!! But I also like going out on the road with my fellow lady riders - that comraderie and group power and knowing you have help and that sisterhood!
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?
Freedom means living in a country where I can make my own decisions, go wherever I like with who I want to and I thank God for all veterans out there who fought and fight to keep our freedom!
What's next for you?
Another dream is beginning - I'm moving to Jackson, Wyoming to start a new job and experience another great part of this country with new roads to explore!! Spring is here!!! It's time to ride again!
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 StoverThis 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
To find out more about the Steel Horse Sisterhood Click Here
To become a sponsor of a Steel Horse Sisterhood event please contact us at joan@steelhorsesisterhood.com
Visit the following websites to find out more about passionate women who combine their love of motorcycling with their heart for others.
Providing Education and Outreach
Motorcycling News & Reviews
Speakers
Inspirational
Women in Motorcycling
Women's Motorcycle Events
- June 19-21, 2014 Mid-Atlantic Women's Motorcycle Rally
- August 5, 2014 Biker Belles Women's Ride Sturgis, SD
Joan Krenning
Lady Road Dog
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