A globe-trotting relay of women on motorcycles will be passing through the Shuswap this weekend in celebration of the hobby that unites and excites them.
The Women Riders World Relay is a worldwide event with tens of thousands of participants which aims to bring awareness to the number of women who are passionate about hitting the open road on two wheels.
The relay began in Northern Scotland in February and wound its way through much of Europe, and then crossed into Turkey before visiting Iran and Pakistan. The relay reached India and then embarked on a leg in Southeast Asia which concluded in mid August.
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The schedule for September has riders traversing New Zealand and Canada before the relay heads to warmer climates for the winter months.
North Shuswap resident Tracy Wojciechowski, an avid motorcyclist herself, has provided support to organizer Teresa Udell and Carrie Gaudette with the B.C. leg of the relay. B.C. will be the first Canadian province to receive a visit from the GPS-tracked baton which will cross the world with the help of more than 19,000 motorcyclists. More than 250 riders will be helping the baton along its way across Canada, some of them riding only local portions, and others making the entire 11-day journey. The baton touches down in Vancouver after a flight over from New Zealand on Sept. 14.
After leaving Vancouver on the morning of the 14th, riders will depart from Kamloops by 3 p.m., making a brief stop at Sprokkets Cafe and the Dreamcycle Motorcycle Museum before travelling on through Salmon Arm and Sicamous to Revelstoke which is their stop for the evening.
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Wojciechowski said the procession of riders will pass through Salmon Arm at approximately 5 p.m., and it would mean a lot to them to see community members cheering them on as they ride by on the Trans-Canada Highway.
The aim of the Women Riders World Relay is to provide an opportunity for women to share in their passion for motorcycles while letting the motorcycle industry know there is a global market of women interested in quality products that suit their needs.
@SalmonArm
jim.elliot@saobserver.net
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