Bikers mark International Female Ride Day

The sound of a motorcycle starting up, it’s something Vicki Gray is no stranger to, and she wanted a way to show that it’s the same for other women as well.

Gray started International Female Ride Day, a global campaign meant to dispel the image of motorcycle riders being just male.

Started in 2007, it’s celebrated annually on the first Saturday of May.

“Woman have now chosen to make this day their own, a long weekend. They take the day off from work, they celebrate it,” said Gray.

Gray travelled to Manitoba and joined local bikers as they moved across the province on Saturday.

“It’s just something that we are all passionate about having women on bikes and being part of the community, building a community,” said Tina Stefanson, who owns Machine Girl Motorsports Company.

Marilyn Magtoto, the founder of The Litas Winnipeg, a group that promotes women taking up motorcycle riding said female motorcycle ridership is growing, “You get a group of women all leading the pack in their own way, coming together as one, to celebrate women in riding.”

Alison Pagsuyuin, who founded, MotoQueens Canada, another group meant to promote female biker ridership said when she first started, she was surprised by how many women rode motorcycles in the city, “We have a great motorcycle community here in Winnipeg, and we are pretty supportive of each other.”

One of the stops for the bikers was at the Manitoba Legislature, where the women joined a rally promoting motorcycle safety.

Lise Léveillé was one of the attendees at the event. She lost her husband Denis during a family ride due to debris on the highway and now advocates for better safety conditions on roads.

She says while the accident was traumatic, it’s not stopping her or her daughter, as Léveillé continues to bike for over 20 years.

“It’s something that my daughter and I embrace; boys can, girls can. That interest and something to do as a family.”