DIANDRA Chuck loves dirt bikes.
The 26-year-old medical student started training about two years ago, when she was formally introduced to Kyle Reynolds, owner of Irie Racing Motorcycle Shop and Motor Tours.
Chuck explains that she has always had an interest in the sport, but she just didn’t have the opportunity to learn.
In the space of a month, Reynolds taught her what she needed to know, and the rest, as they say, is history.
This girly girl absolutely loves the outdoors.
“Trust me, it’s tough at first, but it is not until you get the hang of it that you can find some enjoyment in dirt bike riding,” Chuck tells All Woman.
She says she derives the greatest pleasure from off-road riding as opposed to riding on a track or circuit.
Off-road riding allows her to see more of Jamaica’s beautiful scenery.
“On my bike I’ve gone so many places that a car couldn’t have possibly taken me. I’ve been to the edge of waterfalls deep in the bushes, I’ve stood at the base of mountains, I feel as if I can go anywhere and do anything while I’m on my bike,” she says.
Through Reynolds’ tutelage, and practising whenever she can, Chuck admits that her bike-riding skills have considerably improved over the two-year period.
She knows that the sport is a dangerous and tough one, but that doesn’t deter her from her passion.
“At this point I can anticipate when it is that I am going to fall. I know now how to best position myself when I’m about to fall. Thank goodness I have gotten no broken bones as yet; however, I have had a few cuts, bruises and scrapes over the years.”
Combining her medical studies with off-road riding requires time management.
As such, Chuck says she only gets to ride whenever she starts a new rotation or is on vacation from school. For her, dirt bike riding functions as a de-stressor, especially after a tough round of exams.
Though she has no interest in riding competitively at the moment, Chuck, who rides a Yamaha HR125, says her main interest now is in improving her riding skills.
She advises others who wish to enter the sport that along with a motorbike, the proper protective gear is necessary — a helmet, gloves, elbow and knee pads and a chest plate.
Above all, don’t be reckless.
