Women on the Move: Going Places

Preeti Maske, 47,

Long-Distance Cyclist

When Preeti Maske took up cycling at the age of 40, she had no idea a new hobby would turn into a passion, and then a profession with five Guinness World Records. A surprise first-place victory in a five-km fun run at her children’s school was what first fuelled Maske’s adventurous side.

In school, Maske played national-level hockey and basketball at a state level, but after marriage and motherhood, sports were firmly in her past—or so she thought. Blighted by health issues and grappling with a lack of purpose, the podium finish at her children’s school reignited her competitive spirit. “Many women in their 40s feel like their dreams have been crushed,” says the mother of two. “Maybe I felt this more keenly and it showed.”

It was a cycling expedition from Kashmir to Kanyakumari—down the length of the country—that made Maske take up cycling seriously. She kept improving and training, but being one of the few women in the group came with its own challenges.

“Keeping up with male riders was tough,” she says. “I was slower, but when I caught up with them, whenever they said, ‘let’s go’, I would say, ‘let’s go’— even though they had been resting for a while. I saw many women who were slower, took longer breaks, and male riders would be reluctant to have them join the group the next time.” Among her cycling peers, Maske is known never to complain—even pushing herself after a fall or an accident.

Maske’s first attempt at setting a world record was to cycle the 6,000-km-long Golden Quadrilateral spanning north, east, south and west India. She overcame pandemic-related delays and challenges and finished, but her ride didn’t qualify. The loss only spurred her on to attempt and achieve records one after the other. Maske set her first Guinness world record in 2022, cycling from Manali to Leh, in 55 hours and seven minutes. Her latest cycling milestone took her from Bhutan to India through Nepal, a journey of 1,803 km in 10 days, 18 hours and 40 minutes—completely unsupported.

People of all ages, write to tell her that she’s their inspiration. One of her friends who didn’t know how to ride a bicycle rented one, learnt, completed a 100-km ride, and dedicated the ride to her. Maske leverages her popularity to spread awareness and dispel misconceptions about organ donation.

As for what’s next, Maske has her eyes set on cycling from India to Singapore via Myanmar. Picking up on this relentless desire to challenge herself, her daughter gave her the moniker ‘the extreme lady’. Maske’s plans make it clear she’s hell-bent on proving her daughter right.

[First published on Adventure.com. Edited and reproduced with permissions.]