Rider Profile - Kelly Patterson McGrath
Kelly Patterson McGrath is a trainer, business and personal coach and speaks to a variety of groups and organizations on personal development, team building and work/life balance. She offers a Leadership for Women Workshop Series and last year created DivaRiderWear.com, which produces unique products for women riders. She currently rides a1200 Harley Davidson Sportster and is a positive, inspirational role model, especially for women riders.
You go where you look. That advice applies to our life journey as well as our motorcycle ride.
Kelly started riding on the back of her husband’s motorcycle. 7 years ago she chose to get her own motorcycle and she hasn’t looked back. She loves riding.
“The power, the sheer brute force that I put under me, from the tip of my head to the tip of my toes, the ability to have a 360° visual of the world without any constraints – it’s freeing.” One of her favorite times is in the spring with its fresh scents; the temperature change, which is exhilarating, and the warm air in her face.
Kelly is very grateful that she can afford to have a motorcycle and get on it and ride. She describes riding as quite challenging as well as very soothing. “Your attention span has to be very high – watching, looking, analyzing the road, what you’re going over. There are so many things going on at any one given time and it’s very consuming. It’s very much in the moment.”
“I ride to be connected to nature, to feel without any obstruction visually. If I see something beautiful, I have to stop and take it in because it’s so beautiful – it’s almost hypnotizing.” It’s the journey that counts.
Last year, Kelly created DivaRiderWear.com, an online store with a unique selection of artistic T-shirts, note cards, and posters, all designed specifically for women riders. One of her most novel products is the Diva Rider Daily Journal - A Guide On and Off the Road. It’s been very popular and is on its way to the bestseller list. One of the reasons Kelly created the Diva Rider Daily Journal was to encourage women to journal, to create a distinctive outlet to learn about themselves and capture the insights gained on the ride. “We are poor at celebrating our achievements. Did you celebrate you getting your license? Journal. Celebrate! It’s also a visual. The woman on the motorcycle captured that image. I thought it would be really cool on T-shirts and would give women another option in motorcycle wear. And it’s fun.”
Kelly also delivers a Leadership for Women Workshop series. It’s all about recognizing how we can be better at doing things for ourselves and being OK with this. She provides tools and techniques to help them manage this and create something for themselves.
Her advice on riding: “Buying a motorcycle is a risk. It’s a lot of power. This is about you. Get out there and get it done. Don’t let your partners push you. We want to do things for other people because we want to please. Pick what you want to do. It’s OK to say no – if you don’t want to ride, don’t. Everyone needs to be responsible for his or her own actions. If you’re feeling pressured to do something and you don’t want to do it, you still have a choice. You are ultimately responsible for your own decision.”
Recognizing and addressing stressors and work/life balance are areas of expertise for Kelly. “It’s important to consider balance while riding because riding is a stressor on your body. The better physical condition you’re in, the better you’re going to be able to handle the motorcycle.” Kelly generally follows a ride with some form of strenuous physical activity like a hike to maintain a good balance. “Be fit and you ‘ll have a better ride.”
Kelly emphasizes that it’s especially important for women to feel comfortable in themselves and the decisions and the choices they make. “It’s OK to take a risk. It’s OK to put yourself out there. Try it and see what you get back. If you have a positive attitude, that’s what you get back. I choose not to surround myself with negative energy, with people who draw on my energy. My choice is to surround myself with positive energy. It’s a pleasure to give to people who are positive and who are open. “
Just like a motorcycle, you go where you look.