Winning FIM Bajas World Championships 2019 in women's category has put Aishwarya Pissay on the top in the world of motorsports. The Bengaluru based rider, who became the first ever Indian to achieve this feat, said, "I am extremely happy and overwhelmed and all of these achievements is just one step closer towards my bigger dream which is the Dakar rally. It is one of the most difficult races because one has to do 700km everyday for 15 days."
This time last year while racing in Spain she ruptured her pancreas following a crash. However, she made a comeback after months of physical and mental rehabilitation. The process required patience, inner strength and determination.
"First year when I broke a collarbone, it happened very quickly, at the time of recovery it was just this goal in my mind to come back stronger on the track and we work backwards, like we decide what is that we want to achieve and work towards it.
"It was emotionally and mentally very taxing but I have been able to come back because of my TVS team, mentors, family and coaches. They believed in me throughout and gave me strength to come back," Aishwarya told Sportstar .
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Like every sport there are hardships and technicalities in this sport as well. Due to some technical issues, the world champion lost two races but the momentum she had in the first race in Dubai helped her win the championships.
Training throughout the year is what Aishwarya does, and as she said there is nothing known as 'off-season'.
"I ride and train under my coach C.S. Santosh at BigRock Dirtpark in Karnataka which has a 100km path in which there is flat park, enduro, set track and it gives us the opportunity to replicate this training in the races and I just visualise the advices of my coaches and when the race comes it's more of a release phase. I would say struggle phase is when I am training and the release phase is when I am racing so pretty much race is much calmer thing," said the 24-year-old offroad rider.
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This FIM Bajas Championships is held in 4 different countries: UAE (Dubai), Portugal, Spain and Hungary. In every country it is a two-day event. In Dubai on the first day one has to do 200km and then 200 km on the next day, in Portugal it is 250km and 250km, in Spain it's 300km and 180km and the toughest is Hungary 400km and 160km.
Asked how her life is beyond riding and how does she feel about it, Aishwarya said, "I am like a regular 24-year-old girl who likes to go out, to go trekking and camping with my friends but this sport has given me a way of life which has also given me a routine of things which I do and I have been able to sustain and follow religiously. Sponsors like TVS are supporting me which is why I am able to follow my dream."
Aishwarya intends to keep continuing this for another 30 years or so because she says riders touch their peak around the age of 50. This sport is about endurance and mental mindset, along with proper funding as it is an expensive sport.
The FIM 2019 titlist said, "I think I am happy the kind of recognition I am getting not because I won the title but motorsports in general is getting more recognition and that is more important for our fraternity."
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