We are living in the 21st century and it’s about time people stop generalizing and stereotyping things to a specific gender or age.
Earlier, Raveena Tandon broke gender stereotypes by performing the last rites of her dad. A Kolkata androgynous model also smashed stereotypes, one pic at a time.
Now, it’s this 56-year-old woman who defied stereotypes and became the oldest woman to reach the Khardung La pass in Ladakh on a motorbike in 2017.
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Talking about the experience of a lifetime, Mini Augustine said to The Indian Express, “I could not find any woman who did that.”
“I prepared myself for a year before venturing on the journey. During an earlier trek, I had mountain sickness and a porter had to carry my backpack. I did not want that to be repeated during my dream journey.”
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This is how the senior manager of Canara Bank in Kerala’s Kottayam district prepped for the feat. “I practiced Surya Namaskar and did jogging for a year and it helped me embark on my trip sans backache or mountain sickness. I even went blindly over the tips and tricks I heard here and there. Somebody told me garlic will help me with mountain sickness. Out of my desire to fulfill my dream, I consumed garlic a lot.”
Posted by Mini Augustine on Thursday, January 31, 2019
Speaking of being the oldest Indian woman to do so, she said, “There were 61 riders in the team and there were men over the age of 60. Among women, I was the oldest at the age of 51. So far, nobody has crossed the benchmark.”
Posted by Mini Augustine on Wednesday, January 12, 2022
Obviously, the journey wasn’t a cakewalk. Elaborating on the difficulties she conquered on her way, Mini said, “Manoeuvring a bullet from Delhi to Ladakh was a daunting yet possible task. It was difficult to ride through the rough terrain. I was not sure if I would be able to complete the journey. With determination and courage, I moved on. My husband helped me relentlessly as he stayed connected with me through WhatsApp and text messages,” added Augustine who learned how to ride a bike at the age of 27.
The Woman,
The Machine and
The passion !Posted by Mini Augustine on Monday, May 10, 2021
Sharing about a spine-chilling incident, she said, “We went beyond 80-kilometer speed and there was a sharp dip. I was cautious throughout the journey, keeping in mind my age. I was riding through a curve and saw one rider ahead of me falling into a depression. Another rider also followed suit. I was witnessing the accidents right in front of me while I was riding,” Augustine said.
Posted by Mini Augustine on Friday, April 24, 2020
It has been almost 28 years that she is been riding her mean machine. Her last trip was to Rajasthan on a heritage tour through the state. She divulged that her husband Biji Paul influenced her to ride a Bullet and since then he is her biggest supporter.
Kudos to this courageous woman who truly knows how to live life to the fullest.