FILL THAT BAG: Robyn Gonsalves, representing Trending Now (left), Brenda Seltzer, owner of B.A.G.S. (centre) and Alexandra Jankowski, new Communications Manager for Boston Pizza were at Boston Pizza Tuesday for the Fill That Bag event, raising money and collecting non-perishable food items for the Orangeville Food Bank. Photo/LINDSEY PAPP In Orangeville author Liz Jansen’s first book, Women, Motorcycles and the Road to Empowerment, 50 women discover the sense of freedom and empowerment riding a motorcycle can add to their lives.

“My story is in there as a frame work and then there’s stories from 49 other women about how they’ve tapped into their own power through riding and then how they’ve used that to transform other areas of their life,” said Ms. Jansen.

She says that while the theme throughout the book is motorcycles, instead of focusing on the machine she highlights the experience the motorcycle brings to the women.

“Everything that I do is about pushing through your comfort zone and challenging yourself to push past that and to grow in the experience,” she said in an interview. “That’s really my theme. The motorcycle just happens to be a tool for me.”

The book, to be released in print and ebook format on December 1st, took three years to write but Mr. Jansen says her experiences from her whole life have gone in to making the book what it is.

Having started riding when she was 16 years old, she says that in spite of having grown up on a farm with strict parents, motorcycles were always in her life.

“It was always there reminding me of who I really was even when other external circumstances or things happened to cover up who I was,” she said. “The motorcycle was always there to bring it out and that was my connection to myself.”

She founded her business, Trillium Motorcycle Tour & Events, after redirecting her life in 2003 to create an environment for others to discover personal power and growth through riding.

“For the past eight years my work has focused a lot on motorcycles,” she said.

Her work has included custom tours, motorcycle events, workshops and special events.

“Motorcycling is like nothing else and I guess its just watching what happens when people, and in this case women especially, try something that they’re afraid of doing and then they’re successful with it,” she said.

She says fears, cultural objections, family obligations, physical requirements and the stereotypes that go along with riding are some of the reasons why women haven’t gone after the adventure of riding in the past.

“It’s something (these women) always wanted to do and when they try that and they realize what the rewards are of passing those challenges and obstacles, it’s just amazing to see the transformation that happens.”

Motorcycles are the turning point in the book for some women, allowing for the personal transformation, but riding isn’t necessary to understand the book’s message.

“Although it talks about motorcycles it’s not about motorcycling at all,” she said. “Whether a person is a rider or not they’re going to get something from it, man or woman it doesn’t matter.”

Ms. Jansen says that the book is easy reading, written in a matter-of-fact tone that moves along as a steady pace for the reader. Each story is written in each women’s voice.

“That really adds to the book because you’re getting 50 different voices but they’re all saying the same thing,” she said. “(Riding) isn’t for everybody. I’m not advocating riding, even in the book it’s not that at all, it do whatever you want, whatever it is that brings out who you are, follow your heart, do what you want what ever that is.”