Woman on wheels: Racing against Parkinson’s disease

As she dismounts from her bike clad in her colourful Lycra kit, Mina Reeve looks exactly like what she is — a professional biker. Watching her grasp her superbike confidently, it is hard to believe that she started racing just two years ago when a friend, keen to impress her, asked her to a ride.

‘‘I agreed, unsure of what to expect,’’ she recalls. ‘‘I was thrilled by the high speed and adrenalin surge and before long, I was hooked.’’

Last year, 28-year-old Mina began saving money to buy a bike. Meanwhile, she regularly visited racing tracks within Nairobi to hone her skills. The moment her savings totalled Sh650,000, she walked into a showroom and rode out with a brand new bike, her first ever.

Since then, Mina has featured in a number of racing competitions in Kenya, East Africa and Europe. The Master of biomedical sciences from Nottingham University is now among the top female bikers in Kenya.

She is a member of Gogo Racing team, which she and fellow bikers established in 2018. She plans to encourage more women to come on board, and to do her part to help the biking discipline flourish by securing endorsements and sponsorship for her team members.

Parkinson’s disorder is a progressive nervous system condition that affects mobility in individuals aged 65 and above. Other symptoms include speech loss and slowed movement.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that less than 10 in 100,000 people suffer from the condition in Sub Saharan Africa. This is partly because the region’s population is relatively young, with only five per cent of them being aged above 65.

Part of the money that Gogo Racing team gets as sponsorship goes into financing support group activities for people living with the condition.

But why Parkinson’s disease?

‘‘Many of my relatives and a few friends are living with the disease. It is disturbing to watch someone close to you, who has previously been active and independent, deteriorate over the years. I decided to do something to help them,’’ she says.

Mina has since found out that many Kenyans, especially those in rural areas, do not know much about the disease, which makes things worse for patients.

‘‘There is a common misconception that when someone loses their ability to move, it has something to do with their alcohol drinking habits,’’ she notes.

She also observes that managing Parkinson’s disease is costly because the medicine is quite expensive. Thankfully, her team buys these drugs for a few patients.

‘‘We get external caregivers and specialists, including speech therapists, to conduct regular check-ups on them.

“We also organise hangouts for the patients where they meet in public places to share a meal. We, also hold annual meetings where most of our members, including those who are unable to walk, attend,’’ she says.

Mina has participated in championships organised by the East African Superbikes Association, and was the Best Lady Biker in 2019 in the Super Sport 300 category. She is also licensed by the International Motorcycling Federation which allows her to compete anywhere in the world.

‘‘I’ve been to the UK to race and although I didn’t win any medal, the exposure helped me get a sense of what it is to compete on an international level,” she says.

Mina rides a Yamaha R25 2016 model. At 249CC, this bike is considered a ‘‘baby’’ on the course, and puts her at a disadvantage against racers with monster bikes with up to 400CC. However, she compensates for her machine’s inefficiencies with her refined techniques in bike control. Last year, she recorded the fastest lap time in the championship.

Away from the racing track, she teaches sport exercise and health sciences at Braeburn School in Nairobi. She only trains on Saturdays afternoon for her competitions which are almost always held on Sundays.

But Mina is disturbed by the fact that biking is quite underdeveloped here in Kenya.

‘‘Football and rugby enjoy a huge following in Kenya partly because they have been aggressively marketed. We are pushing for government and corporates to invest in biking. We don’t even have proper racing tracks so local bikers are forced to use go-kart tracks, yet we must have the right infrastructure for this sport to grow,” she says.

So, who is eligible to participate in superbike racing?

“Anyone. Many assume that biking is a sport for the elite, but this is not true. With a simple Bajaj Pulsar, for instance, anyone can compete. It may not be the biggest bike, but it will do. I encourage everyone to come and get the experience, then decide if it is something they want to do,” she says.

She warns, however, that there are cost implications involved.

‘‘Racing kits are very expensive. Most of the designs available locally are for men, and there are also no second hand kits. I, therefore, have to either custom make mine, or order from abroad,’’ she says.

“A racing suit costs Sh80,000 on average. Add on top a helmet, gloves and boots, and these will set you back another Sh100,000. There are also competition fees and bike maintenance costs, all which are borne by the rider.

“You must also obtain insurance before racing. Most insurers, however, don’t cover top tier competitive racers,’’ she explains, and adds that she spends about Sh1.5 million a year on her passion.

Does she wish she had started earlier?

“Absolutely. However, I have no regrets. My progress has been phenomenal and my body control, cornering and counter steering have improved remarkably within a short time,’’ she says.

Mina considers her parents to be her biggest resource, saying that she embodies her entrepreneurial mother’s go-getter attitude, and her father’s penchant for travel and adventure.

Her ultimate desire is to keep racing and raising awareness around the sport, and to get more funds for her initiative.