It takes courage to start from scratch just to follow one’s dreams. And, Maral Yazarloo, an Iranian born and India based woman showed the world how!
She had a designer label to her name and was also a Vice President in a leading real estate company. At the peak of her career, she felt as if something was missing in her life.
So, being a passionate motorcycle rider, she set off to travel the world on her BMW GS F650. While she planned to complete her 110,000 km solo trip, she got pregnant.
But she didn’t let her pregnancy deter her from riding around the world. Because of her passion, Maral actually became the only woman to do so with a baby bump!
Maral proved that even though biking may be considered ‘macho’ and ‘manly’, a woman can do it too. Even while carrying a baby!
Maral is one of the first three women to have travelled to all the seven continents on a motorcycle. After her boyfriend’s proposal mid-journey, Maral got married in Machu Picchu. She spent 18 months travelling, of which she was pregnant for six and a half months with her daughter.
When you’re pregnant, there’s something very important which the society keeps forgetting. They keep telling us “don’t move, don’t do heavy activity, be careful, something’s going to happen.” We’re always surrounded by advices of caution. But when I was on a ride, I was on an 800cc motorbike, I had the speed, off-roads, different places, slept in a tent, cook whatever I could get. And today when I look at my daughter Nafaas I feel she’s a proof of the fact that when we’re carrying a baby the most important thing for us is to be happy. And I was one of the happiest mothers in the world.
Talking about her experience, Maral shared that riding while being pregnant was the biggest trial.
That decision changed many things in me, it made me open my eyes and be real. If I wasn’t expecting, I wouldn’t have been the person I am today. Because I’ve been pushed over all limits, that made me really strong mentally. It has proven to me that I can achieve anything as long as I really want to do it.
When asked about feeling sick, Maral shared that she was busy enjoying the ride, planning routes that she didn’t have time to feel unwell.
I was so busy enjoying my ride, finding my route map, deciding which route to take. I didn’t even have a minute for being sick or feel unwell. I had nausea for a couple of days. But I never threw up, I didn’t do anything to delay my ride.
But that’s not all, coming from a place where women are not allowed to have a driving license for bikes, she always dreamt of bringing a change. Her ride was an effort to stand in solidarity with all women who fight stereotypes. That’s why she named it ‘Ride to be on.’
As the first Iranian woman world traveler on a bike I got permission and entered Iran and sent my request to the authorities to change the law for women. It wasn’t easy but I’m determined to bring the change.
When asked about food while travelling through Africa during her first trimester, Maral shared that:
Wasn’t easy, because as you know so many things are changing physically and mentally in you when you become a mother. I wasn’t able to eat everything, had to stay away from raw food and fruits I wasn’t able to wash properly. Everything had to be cooked. And that brought my choices of food really down. Africa wasn’t easy to find food on the road, so I ended up having so many boiled eggs and avocados.
Nafaas, Maral’s daughter is 18 months old now and loves the sound of bikes.
When I got home after the world tour, I would still go and start the bike everyday so that she could hear that familiar sound while she was inside me. I believed that was her understanding of the world at that point and I didn’t want to change it.
Maral singlehandedly broke multiple stereotypes that the world has set against women. So, it’s true when Beyonce said, “Who run the world? GIRLS!”